


A Daughter's Road

by AYangThang



Category: RWBY
Genre: Drama, F/F, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-08-08 19:25:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16435361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AYangThang/pseuds/AYangThang
Summary: We all have to go to hell in our own way. It might be paved with good intentions, but that doesn't mean it'll work out. That isn't always a guarantee, and familial love is never black and white. (Ladybug) (Freezerburn)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> AYangThang: Ready for the feels train? For your pairing pleasure, we have established Ladybug, and slow thawing freezerburn. First though, we have a prologue.

Look at you, growing up before I noticed, little shit.

Hey, listen, Yang…

I know that as far as you're aware, I haven't been around. I have reasons, and that's just it, they're mine to have. I won't lay them on you, they'd probably seem like excuses. Maybe that's all they are. Time changes my perspective a lot. In my head, there are a lot of dusty arguments that float around in the quiet. There are countless things that I can't even begin to describe. Honestly, I don't think you'll take that at face value.

If you're smart, and anything like me, you won't.

So, I took some time, thinking about what you would take. I thought about what I could give you. I have no need for apologies, so I won't give you that. Despite what you may think, that's not a cruelty. It just… is what it is, I guess. That's the hand life dealt us, and yeah, it's shitty. I can't do anything less to make it less so. If I could, Summer Rose would still be alive, your dad and I wouldn't have fallen apart, and our lives would have been relatively peaceful.

You're twenty, I left only a little while after you were born. Believe it or not, that's how I count the years. I can't condense all that time into anything justifiable. I won't disrespect you by trying. The only thing I can tell you is that I have my regrets.

We all have to go to hell in our own way. I chose my hell, and you have to choose yours, whatever that may be.

I know you have questions, and, that you want answers. I wish I had a few of them myself, but I don't. I doubt I ever will. There's only one thing I can give you now is a glimpse into what happened. Honestly, it'll probably just give you more questions than answers. Enclosed in this envelope is a key to an apartment, and a bank account I set up for you years ago. The apartment was the first we bought as a team right out of Beacon. A single bedroom, one bath monstrosity. It put a roof over our heads when we had none.

Your dad thought I had gotten rid of it when we moved into the house. I lied. Instead, I put the apartment in my name, and now, it's in yours.

As for the money, you're not rich, but it'll get you by. As a huntress, you're going to learn that a lot of nights you'll be cold, and hungry. You're one person of thousands, and when you're young, you'll barely manage to get food on the table. The ones that can pay will look for those with experience, something you won't have. It's a thankless job, and the people who would want to show the most gratitude often have almost nothing. You'll be lucky to get a dinner and a warm bed for the night.

That's why Tai and Qrow went into teaching. We would have been on the street otherwise. Some teams are fine getting by like that, we would have been too.

But…

Well, you were already on the way. It came down to a choice. Since you're here now, you know the one we made. What you might not know, is that it was a close call.

I was scared that I had upended all of our lives, and I was ready to do the worst. Qrow was angry, he didn't think we'd be able to manage keeping a roof over our heads as it was. As for Tai… he was against it most of all. He wasn't sure you'd be okay… He was terrified that if we brought you into this world, you'd suffer for it.

We'd been on the road for months, there was no way any of us could have known. I was a heavy drinker, we mistook morning sickness for constant hangovers. After my aura took a dive in the middle of a fight, it land me in the hospital. That's when we found out that it my aura wasn't broken. It was that I was pregnant, with you. My aura had centralized around my womb to protect you.

My actions in not knowing…

All the drinking, all the fighting, well, it could have severely hurt you. Tai and I didn't want to risk that, Qrow was sure that his semblance was to blame. He calls himself a bad luck charm, and not knowing you were there, that was definitely the luck of the draw.

Summer Rose was different, though. She was so happy. It was like she knew you'd be okay. She wanted you to come into this world so badly, and, she was our leader. For someone like me, a leader is the law. What they say, goes. If she wanted you, then I'd have you. It was just that simple in my head. As a team, we trusted her. We made the choice to keep you, and we made a lot of sacrifices to give you a home.

I'm not proud of most of them.

I could be a lot of things, but, I realized pretty early on that I could never be your mom. When you boil down every dirty detail, in spirit at least, you were Summer's from the start. I was just the woman that carried you. Summer loved you from the day she knew. I guess that's all that really needs to be said about the matter.

Stop looking for me, Yang. Stop looking for answers that none of us have. We tried to keep it together. We did the best any of us could do, and it wasn't good enough. There's nothing left for you in that past. It died with Summer, and nothing any of us do will ever bring her back. The only thing you can do now, is live the life she wanted you to have.

So do that…

Go to hell in your own way, Yang.

Live your life with good intentions, and never look back…

-Raven


	2. Team RWBY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their third year at Beacon academy has come to a close. Summer vacation has just begun, and like always, Team RWBY is fated to spend their time separately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I'm back with the first "official" chapter. I know it's just set-up and a little taste of fluff, but I hope you'll like it. On average I think the chapter length will range from about 3k to 5k. I think that's a healthy range. Thanks to those who've supported the first chapter with follows, faves, kudos, and bookmarks.
> 
> Anyway, on with the fiction.

Beacon Academy wasn’t an average school, and so, it came as no surprise to anyone that the students weren’t very average either. Decorum was often abandoned, and modesty cast aside. It seemed that today would be no different as a loud boom shattered the otherwise peaceful afternoon. The dull roar of angry students followed soon after. As most looked up to view the riot that was breaking out in the courtyard, Blake completely ignored it.

Instead, she heaved a heavy sigh. It resonated bone deep as she sat around the cafeteria table with her friends.

The large room was emptier than usual. Their third year at Beacon had officially ended. Most of the students had gone home to visit their families. Others waited for their transport to arrive. Soon, team RWBY would be parting ways to do the same. The Faunus looked down at her scroll, guiltily rubbing her forehead. The message couldn’t be right, but it didn’t matter how often she refreshed the page. The message was still the same.

She thought she had more time, but, her flight plans had been made. She’d be leaving in less than two days.

“You okay there, Blakey?” Yang asked as she noticed her partner tense up.

The Faunus only grunted softly in reply. Amber eyes bore deeply into the scroll, a few choice words were muffled under her breath. Dark cat ears folded down flatly against her head. No, everything was not alright, and no, she was not okay. “I’m fine.” She growled, the complete antithesis of her claim.

“Ya know, growling at your scroll like that probably won’t make it any better.” Yang said with a shrug as she toyed with the straw sitting in her empty soda glass. “You know what would make it better?”

“What?” She deadpanned.

“Telling us what’s wrong.” Yang shot back. “Maybe we can help.”

“There’s nothing you _can_ help with.” Blake said as she continued to stare blankly at her open text messages. “It’s inevitable.”

She knew she had to reply, she just didn’t want to. She forced her thumb to pad across the glass, carefully tapping at the letters. Once she was satisfied, she sent the message to her father. Today just hadn’t gone her way. First the lunch line had somehow managed to be void of any and all canned tuna. That was bad enough, but then Nora began screeching in an entirely new decibel during Professor Port’s final exam. Then again, Blake knew she had little room to judge.

She had barely held back an undignified hiss when a Grimm shaped suspiciously like a greyhound from hell came charging at her. She’d be having nightmares for weeks thanks to that. Port’s lecture hall would never be the same, and she doubted even Professor Goodwitch would be able to repair all of the damages.

Blake sighed again, visibly deflating. Her dad’s text had only been the unfortunate end to an already terrible day. "Stupid pomp and circumstance..."

“Blake, you promised to always be honest with us…” Weiss said softly, her blue eyes demanding to know what _exactly_ was wrong.

Blake looked up from her scroll. The scowl on her face died instantly. As soon as she saw that icy expression, her shoulders sagged once more, her faunus ears doing the same. “It’s a faunus thing.”

“What sort of Faunus thing?” Ruby asked around a bite of cookie.

“It’s a White Fang sort of Faunus thing.” Blake said, feeling her whole summer slip away from between her fingers. “Dad’s sending me to Atlas.”

“Hold on. Now wait just a second and clarify.” Weiss glared as if Blake had grown a second head. “Why would your dad just randomly send you to Atlas during summer break?”

“Don’t they hate Faunus up there?” Ruby asked, quite unhelpfully.

“It’s not random, Weiss.” Blake replied before she turned to Ruby, her words turning gentle. “And, yes, you could say humans are less fond of Faunus in Atlas.”

“Then why would you go there?” Ruby asked, curiously.

“Well, it’s almost time for the seasonal ceremonies to begin.” Blake said with a shrug. “Lots of bonded pairs have decided to officiate their couplings this year.” She was sitting in a group of humans who never had any contact with the organization. They never had a reason to. Realizing this, she smiled a little. “You have to understand, marriages are different to Faunus. We both enact, and perceive them differently. This year, we have a few high ranking members in the White Fang having these ceremonies, and they’ve asked for a representative from each kingdom to attend. Someone’s got to represent Vale, so that’s why I’m being sent there.”

“What about your mom?” Yang asked then. “Can’t she go?”

“She could, but dad doesn’t think it’s a good idea. It’s a very spiritual thing." Blake said. "Faunus that have been together as long as my parents, well, they should go to ceremonies together. Besides, dad needs to preside over the ceremonies going on here. He can’t leave.”

“Oh…” Yang said slowly. “Uh, why?”

“My dad is the High Leader of Vale’s sect, for one.” Blake said. “Secondly, bonded pairs rarely split up for ceremonies. It would look weird if my mom went to Atlas without my dad.” Then Blake shrugged, fingers tapping idly on the table in thought. “When I get older, I’m going to become the High Leader in Vale. If I want to do that, I have to go to the other kingdoms. I need to show them how capable I am.”

“I thought you weren’t going to lead for a long while yet.” Yang said, leaning heavily on the table, her chin resting in one hand A cold slice of pizza cradled in her other palm before she bit into it. "Like, way after graduation..."

“I have to start somewhere.” Blake said, reaching over to brush some cookie crumbs off of Ruby's cheek. “Sending representatives is pretty common. It cultivates unity among the different sects. It happens every year, I’ve just never acted as a representative before. I’ve never been old enough.”

“You’re not going to be stuck up there, are you?” Ruby asked, as she clung onto Blake’s shirt, her gunmetal eyes boring into molten amber.

“I’ll be back after the ceremonies, Ruby.” Blake said, patting her team leader on the head as she dislodged her arm from the vicelike grip. Ruby Rose was too strong for her own good, and unlike her sister, she had no concept of her own strength. She then wrapped her arm loosely around Ruby’s waist, pulling her closer. “It’s just until the end of summer.”

"Better be, Blakey." Yang said with a grin that spoke of trouble. “I think Nora and the rest of JNPR are gearing up for a final hurrah. Was kind of thinking of joining them, and I’d love to have my partner around for that.”

“Oh god…” Weiss murmured. “Promise me you will not, _under any circumstances_ , cause damage to the school. I _won’t_ be coming back to team detention like I did last year.”

“No promises, princess.” Yang said with a smirk. “It’ll be our last year here. We’ve got to live it up while we can.”

Ruby just kept looking at Blake, her head cocked to the side as she frowned. “Are you sure you won't be back earlier? I was kind of hoping you’d come with me this this summer while I shadowed a hunter.”

“Only one person can go on that mission.” Blake told her. “I wouldn’t be allowed to follow you anyway.”

“Uncle Qrow would have just taken you with us. He’s cool like that.” Ruby said. “I wanted you to go with me, since we’re girlfriends and all. I figured that would be a good time to tell him, but the White Fang is important, so I understand.”

“You can find a different time to tell him, Rubes.” Yang said. “That way dad can be there too. Though if it were me, I’d just call and tell him.”

“Yang Xiao Long, that is an infinitely terrible idea.” Weiss told Yang disapprovingly. “Not to mention wildly inappropriate.”

“Weiss is right. My intentions towards Ruby are not to be taken lightly.” Blake protested as her cheeks tinged pink. “I’d like to tell your family in person. It’s the respectful thing to do.”

Weiss could only rub the bridge of her nose as Yang shrugged helplessly. She didn't have the sanity to deal with Yang's boorish outlook on romance. “More importantly, Ruby, don’t tell me you’re really going on a training mission with your drunkard of an uncle?” Weiss asked only to see Ruby nod happily. Her sadness seemed momentarily forgotten.

“Well, yeah.” Ruby said with a smile. Her eyes lighting up at the thought of adventure. “It’s kind of our thing.”

“Ever since you were old enough to toddle after him.” Yang laughed. “Besides, I won’t besmirch the extra credit. It’s saved all our asses more than once.”

“Oh, big word Yang.” Ruby teased only to have Yang stick her tongue out at her in response.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve learned to grow a fondness for Ruby’s “hard C’s”. At least I know she’s trying. You could learn to be a little more studious, Yang.” Weiss said, starting daggers into her blonde friend. “We will have to return next year prepared to study harder. These last round of exams were nothing to scoff at.”

Yang cast Weiss a sidelong look. “Still angry that you landed an eighty percent, aren’t you?”

Her slim fist hit the table. “That’s entirely besides that point!”

“Yep, still pissed.” Yang said from under her breath. Then she dropped the matter. “You guys are so lucky. Ruby’s going on a mission, Blake’s going to the White Fang stuff, and Weiss you’re going to see your sister like always, right?” She said, watching Weiss nod. “Meanwhile I’m stuck babysitting my part-time job around here.”

“It isn’t as if I’m going for fun, Yang.” Weiss said earnestly. “I’m going to be shadowing Winter while we run tests on a newly discovered dust sample. It’s work, even though I do enjoy spending time with my sister in the process.” A thought came to the heiress, and she pursed her lips in thought. “You know, if you’d like, you could always attend the trip with me. It might be a little unorthodox, and the tests must be done carefully, but I am fairly certain Winter wouldn’t mind if you came. If money for a ticket is an issue, you know it shouldn’t be.”

Yang just smirked. “Aw, look at you being all worried about me.” Her expression gentled then, though it was no less sincere. “I’ll be fine. Besides, you see Winter like what, twice a year? If that? I don’t want to get in the middle of you two.”

“I could see her more often if we didn’t take so many training missions to keep your grades from plummeting. She does have a residence in Vale, you know. She just rarely uses it.” Weiss said as she pushed her dinner try aside. The yogurt cup was left forgotten next to a woebegone salad that had seen better days. "It might be good for you, Yang."

"Nah, sisters should stick together." Yang said. "Especially you and Winter."

The youngest among them only nodded. “Yang's right. It kind of sucks though. For once I’d actually rather not go on this mission.” Ruby said. “Next year might be our last as a team. It would have been awesome to have at least one summer vacation together.”

Weiss, reached over, flicking Ruby in the forehead. “Don’t say things like that. We have plenty of time after graduation.” Weiss told her. “I know I won’t be searching for a new team any time soon.”

“Me either.” Blake said thoughtfully. Then she turned to Ruby, smiling in apology. “It’s important that I meet with my brothers and sister in the White Fang. After we graduate, we will have plenty of opportunities to spend the summers together, Ruby, I promise.”

Ruby let loose a soft murmur of unhappiness as she leaned heavily on the Faunus by her side. Her lower lip quivered as she tried not to think of the team splitting up. It was always a depressing thought. Blake merely sighed gently, whispering sweet nothings into Ruby’s ear. She took great care to do it, as if that might soothe away her fears. The other two members of the team watched with fondness, Weiss rolling her eyes with fake exasperation.

Yang leaned across the table then, whispering into the white haired woman's ear. “Blakey has her hands full. Her dad wants her to wait until we graduate Beacon before she makes a public statement to the White Fang. Ruby’s not allowed to go to any of the gatherings until then.”

Weiss only nodded, pretending to understand the nature of White Fang proceedings. As a Schnee, however, the truth was that she had no idea. She probably never would.

\--

Two days later, and Weiss had already flown back to Atlas. Blake’s flight had taken off early that morning. Soon it would be Ruby’s turn to get on an aircraft and fly down to Vale’s central hub. The team leader was busy making her final preparations, carefully packing away spare clips of ammunition.

“I heard that dad's already back in Vale. Are you shadowing  him on his yearly trip?” Ruby asked over her shoulder as she zipped up her backpack.

“Nah.” Yang said as she laid across her top bunk, a comic book in hand. “I’d probably just get in the way.”

“You know he wouldn’t think that.”

“He might not, but, what about Peter and Bart?” Yang asked as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, setting the flimsy book aside. “They might be his friends, but they’re also our teachers, Ruby. They have to deal with us all the time. I don’t think they really want me following them around during their summer break. Besides, they’re all grown men, it would probably be weird if I went with them.”

The young leader cocked her head to the side, gazing up at Yang with a rueful little smile. “I wouldn’t say clearing the paths from Vale to Vacuo is a break. Maybe a relaxing mission, but they’re still working the whole time. Besides, we were on a mission with Peter just last week. You didn’t think it was weird then.”

“While we’re in Beacon he’s our teacher, and he was _teaching_ , then."

"So?"

"Sooo, we keep the respect barrier up in school no matter what." Yang told her. "I’m talking about something completely different.” Yang jumped down from the bed, ticking of her reasons on her fingers. “They’re more experienced than me. They know the routes, and I don't at all. They do this every year, so they know how to cooperate as a team. Plus, like I said before, they’re men.”

“Yeah, uh, don’t really see a big deal about that last one.” Ruby shrugged.

Yang just groaned. “Sis, they’re not dudes like team SSSN. They’re not bros like Ren and Jaune. They’re not guys like Yatsuhashi and Fox. Peter and Bart are grown men with full licenses, and they’re way older than us. They’d have to watch what they say and do around me, cause at the end of the day, they’re still authority figures…and you know dad hates ‘huntsmen’s talk’ around us…what do you think they get up to on those summer missions?”

Ruby just shrugged, flinging her backpack over her shoulders. “I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it.” Then, as if she had begun to, her nose crinkled. “Yeah, you know what? I don’t think I want to know what they get up to.”

“See now you’re getting it.” Yang said with a laugh, her eyes glancing towards the clock. “Hey, Rubabubble, if you don’t hurry, you’re going to miss your flight.”

Ruby nodded, giving Yang a hug. “If you change your mind, you can always come with us. Uncle Qrow wouldn’t care, you know that. My spare mission pack is already packed and under the bed. You could just grab it and go.”

Yang took a breath, fingers toying in those soft locks of brown and red. “This is your last summer to really hone your skills as a huntress-in-training. You’ve got to make the most of it, and I can’t get in your way. Besides, I’ve got my own training to focus on.”

“Alright.” Ruby relented, not very pleased about the prospect of leaving Yang on her own for an entire summer. “Take care of yourself, Yang.”

“Yeah, you too, sis. Love ya.” With a soft punch to Ruby’s shoulder she grinned. “And try to keep Qrow outta the sauce.”

Ruby only laughed as she headed for the door. “Now you’re asking the impossible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, we'll follow Yang as she spends her summer alone... See you all then...


	3. Yang’s Lonely Summer, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang begins her summer alone, and begins to do a lot of soul searching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hope you all like this chapter. I had to break it in half, it was too big otherwise. Part two will be coming early next week.

She wouldn’t be left in the dust ever again.

Not by anyone.

She just had to find her place and be worthy of it, just like everyone else.

Ruby was an engineering mastermind. Her quick thinking out in the field and her talent against Grimm was outstanding. When she put her skills to practice, she far outshined the lackluster markings she gained in the classroom. She knew the material like the back of her hand. She simply had trouble transferring that knowledge down on paper. Her mind had always been like a sponge, eager to learn, determined to become a huntress. Her teachers knew it too, which was why they brushed most of her failing grades under the rug with promises of mission assignments and extra credit.

Ruby worked hard to earn the grades she did. Even if she had to put in more effort than a regular student. She was already a great huntress, and would only get better with time.

Yang envied just how much the task suited her sister.

Blake had an education beyond the walls of Vale. She had seen the world on a larger scale. She had walked in the dense wilds, and preached words of peace and equality to hordes of people. Faunus and human alike. When faced with adversity, Blake questioned everything. Her sharp tongue cut to the core of many arguments. Her persistence and tenacity only aided her pursuits. When Blake fought, she did so with every fiber of her being. Her adaptability in combat was a further byproduct of how she viewed the world. She wanted it to change for the better, and carried herself with that goal in mind.

Blake might not be as suited to the trade as Ruby, but being a huntress wasn’t her goal. It was only meant to serve as the power to make her voice heard among the masses. All in all, it was a noble thing.

Yang had to admit, she wished she had such a noble cause to fight for.

Weiss was every bit the intellectual that her teammates were. She had that masterful attention to detail that Ruby lacked, and the calm diligence to further research new facts as they came to her attention. Weiss had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and had also seen the world at large. Unlike Blake, she even had the fame to do something about it. She was a competent fighter, and always true to her word. Even to a fault. Deep down, she felt as though she had something to prove, and she would stop at nothing to achieve that goal.

To Weiss, her existence was her calling. Her family name, a legacy. There was something brutally honest about her choice in life. She willing carried a darkness that she swore she would see through to the most bitter end.

Yang’s family was a mystery to her, and no matter what she did, those answer eluded her.

She hated it, all of it.

Sometimes, Yang even hated herself.

Why did she matter? What made her so special compared to her friends, or her family? What did she really have? Her temper? Her carefree attitude? Her body? So what if she could hit like a truck... Was that the only thing she had going for her?

It couldn’t be…

She wouldn’t let that happen.

She wouldn’t be that worthless. She wouldn’t be so easy to forget. She would make something of herself, or she’d die trying.

Yang grit her teeth and shook her head. She didn’t want to think about all the ways she failed in the past. All of the moments she took for granted. Instead, she launched herself into another set of angry strikes. Her fists flying into an invisible barrier before gravity itself seemed to spit her backwards. Her feet left the ground, and she slammed into a reinforced wall.

“You’re distracted again.” Glynda Goodwitch chastised as she watched Yang peel herself up from the training room floor. “You need to focus.”

“I’m not distracted.” Yang said with a groan. She felt her back pull uncomfortably. Something slipped back into place with an audible cracking sound. “I’m just not used to having you as a sparring partner. At least not one-on-one.”

With one hand on her hip, the master huntress looked at Yang with mild annoyance. “When you signed up for my summer workshops, I warned you that it would not be easy. Your enemies wouldn’t think twice to use lethal force. I have no intention of killing you, but, giving you leniency would be doing you a grave disservice. You must adapt and you must overcome.”

Yang took a breath, shaking out her aches and pains. “Yeah, I hear you. You don’t have to read me the riot act.”

The older woman frowned, lips thinning into a tight line. She looked up to the clock. They still had some time before her next student arrived. “Miss Xiao Long -” Glynda began sternly only to take pause at her formal address. She had to do better than that. She forced out a breath and tried again. “I fully realize I was not as involved in your upbringing as some of the others here at this institution. Regardless, I’d like to think I know you better than that by now. The student that I know, would have at least come close to striking me.”

“What’s with the sentimentality?” Yang fired back with a raise eyebrow. “It’s not really your thing.”

Glynda eyed the young woman thoughtfully. The bombastic brawler had always been difficult to deal with. She was aimless, often without a primary goal. Taiyang had his hands full when it came to his daughters, and Glynda had observed their care at a distance. She had offered womanly advice to Taiyang, when and where it suited her. Regretfully, she hadn’t felt the same desire to keep an eye on the household. Not the way that Bartholomew and Peter had.

In retrospect, she should have been stronger presence in their lives. As it was, she hadn’t even visited the girls as children. Once they became students, avoiding them was impossible.

Yang would have benefited from a strong female remodel in her life. Yet, Glynda had long ago deduced that it wasn’t her place. It was time to remedy her years of emotional distance. She collected two chilled bottles of water, and two moist towels. She draped one over her shoulders before tossing the other to Yang, watching as the brawler caught it.

“I could continue to send you flying about the arena like a ragdoll. Mind you, you’ll never land a hit on me, not as you are now.” She studied the monitor. Her aura was still perfectly in the green, while Yang’s had already reached the end of yellow. “I find that speaking of my problems often help to ease my predicaments. It might suit you to try it.”

“It’s not anything like that... I’ve just had some stuff on my mind, that’s all.”

“Such as?”

“Well, future stuff, I guess. That and boredom.” Yang muttered mostly to herself. “Hey, uh, why did you become a huntress, anyway?”

Glynda pulled off her glasses to clean them, considering the question. That wasn’t something a person such as Yang would ask lightly. In fact, it likely troubled her a great deal. “To put it simply, I felt as though it would suit my needs. I’m happy to say that I was not incorrect.”

“It’s a lonely life. Not a whole lot of job security, either.” Yang said then. “Can’t imagine it was your dream job, or anything like that.”

“No, most certainly not.” Glynda replied thoughtfully. “What you must understand is that unlike many huntsmen, women often approach this profession differently. To most of us, it’s a stepping stone for youthful endeavors.” She said, handing Yang one of the cold water bottles. “Many women won’t stop at merely becoming a huntress.”

“They don’t?” Yang asked, taking the offered refreshment.

“No, the vast majority have greater pursuits.” Glynda said. “Having a license opens doors that would otherwise be closed.”

Yang flinched at that. “Yeah?”

“Of course.” Glynda said. “You’ve gained many practical skills. Graduating from Beacon shows that you’ve applied that knowledge successfully. Most men and women only finish schooling in one field of education. When you graduate Beacon, you will have spent four years honing many different crafts to a competent level. You would not have survived otherwise. These skills, along with your combat preparedness, allows you to apply for jobs that would otherwise be given to someone more qualified. On top of that, because you are a huntress, there are jobs out there that _only_ someone of your skillset would qualify for.”

“I don’t know about that.” Yang said, recalling Raven’s outlook on the lifestyle. “From what I hear, some people just barely make it by.”

“It is not a life of permanence, not for anyone.” Glynda told her. “You won’t grow old as a huntress. In truth, most stop taking missions long before then. The wilderness is harsh on the body, and inevitably there comes a time when you put down your weapons. Those that don’t, well, they’ve often made their peace with dying long before.”

“Looks like I have more to think about than I thought.” Yang said, scratching the side of her head.

“In time, perhaps you will.” Glynda agreed. “At this precise moment, however, you have only one concern.”

“And that would be…?”

Glynda took her glasses off and placed them carefully off to the side. “To avoid ending up in the infirmary.” Then she undid the immaculate bun that kept her hair in place, allowing her golden tresses to flow freely down her back. Pulling a pair of white fingerless gloves from her desk, she turned to Yang again. “I do hope you can manage at least that much.” At Yang’s dubious look, Glynda merely smirked. “Well now, I am Beacon’s combat specialist for a reason. You may use your weapons and your semblance. Try to keep up.”

With sweat already burning her eyes, Yang nodded as she pounded her fists together. “Bring it on.”

* * *

 

When all was said and done, Yang couldn’t land a single hit.

She waited until she got back to the dorm to cry away some of her frustration, but the luxury to vent her sorrow was short lived. Her scroll began to ring, and she brushed away her tears. She forced one of her perfect smiles and answered the call. She kept smiling, listening to Ruby talk about her training and the mission. Her young sister had such a zest for life.

Even that seemed to rival Yang’s own in recent years.

“It was so huge, Yang! I’ve never seen anything like it, and then Uncle Qrow comes along out of nowhere and just slices it in half.” She grinned happily as she bounced on her wooden seat. “I mean I knew Grimm got really big up in the mountains, but I didn’t think they’d get _that_ big. Though, Qrow told me that since it’s so hot, most of them are migrating north to beat the heat.”

“Sounds like you’ve had an exciting time out there.” Yang chuckled softly as she looked down at the screen of her scroll. Her sister’s retelling of a Grimm encounter probably wasn’t exaggerated by the looks of the table surrounding her. A difficult mission was measured to how drunk their uncle was at the time. The man seemed to be partially sober as he spoke to a few old friends behind Ruby. “So, where are you two now, then?”

“Um, a few clicks southeast of the mountain range.” Ruby said she moved her scroll to better see her sister. “Uncle Qrow says we have a few more villages to visit before we come back.”

“Sounds like a long trip ahead. Try not to overdue it.” Yang said.

“Yeah it's long, but going on horseback makes it a little faster.” Ruby said, pointing the scroll’s camera put of the nearby open window. Two large stallions rested in a bed of hay. “Weiss would have loved this.”

“Yeah.” Yang said fondly. “She really would have. Though I don’t know if the horses would have loved her preening over them all the time. You know how she gets.”

Ruby looked up over her scroll, nodding to someone off screen before looking back down at Yang. “I’ve got to go. We’re going to try to get to the next village before nightfall.”

“Alright sis, be safe, and stay hydrated.” Yang said, bidding her sister goodbye.

The screen no sooner went to black that Yang guzzled down her own bottle of water. It was the hottest summer that Vale had seen in years. School children could fry eggs on the sidewalks, many of them gathered in clusters to do just that. Even the Grimm were more lethargic than usual, and missions to capture or kill them were lower than normal.

With the team dispersed, there wasn’t much to do.

Yang had managed to keep herself busy the only way she knew how. Harsh physical activity. The local recreation center had just gotten some new machines, and she’d made good use of them. After a refreshing shower, she went back to walking around the streets of Vale. She even made a stop at the park to get some lunch from a vendor.

With one hand in her pocket, and the other holding a corndog she meandered about the city, taking in the sights. The corndog did nothing to fill her, and the creeping fog of unrelenting boredom began to sour her mood.

She itched for something to do. Something that _wasn’t_ roasting herself over a hot cooktop at Junior’s bar. Her shifts were long, and paid just enough to get her by. Being a huntress wasn’t easy, and while Ruby got by on a full scholarship, Yang was not so lucky. Tuition and dorm fees were expensive, and so were bullets and field gear.

A solid training hunt would have been entertaining, and given her some much needed income.

Yang fished out her scroll, scanning through the multiple messages that everyone had sent her. Even her dad was off having a good time. A photograph of Tai, Bart, and Peter had reached her inbox just the other day. The three men sat around a campfire, obviously indulging in whatever it was that Bart kept in his thermos. They had just started clearing the trail from Vale to Vacuo. Her father took a second photo right by a small outpost’s gate.

If only she had her license, she could have gone with them. She had always wondered if the over-the-top banter Peter spouted was actually true. Whenever the three men gathered around the kitchen table, Peter told stories that made the ones in his class seem tame by comparison. Then again, the three of them formed something of a men’s club, and Yang still doubted they would want a young woman like her tagging along with them anyway.

Another message from Ruby pinged her scroll a moment later. Ruby and Qrow astride their horses. They were about to take off back into the wilderness. There was a small message enclosed _. – see, sis? It's a lot of fun. You should have come with us…-_ The caption beneath implored.

Yang only huffed in amusement. If Yang knew her uncle and sister, which she did, something was bound to end up being damaged before the summer was over. She sighed at the photo before closing it.

“Sorry Ruby, but I have my own training to do…” Yang told herself. “Can’t let you pass me by…not yet.”

* * *

 

Another long training session with Goodwitch left her body sore, and her mind busy.

She’d made so many mistakes during training. She knew she would probably make many more before the summer was up. She needed a distraction, but that was hard to come by. For as popular as she was, she was lonely.

Team JNPR were splitting their time up between Jaune’s family and Pyrrha’s, as was customary. Team CFVY had never separated after graduation, and spent almost all of their time on hunts. Team SSSN sent obscene and hilarious photos from time to time. Sadly, that just made her miss them more. She wouldn’t see them again until the next tournament.

What was she to do?

She didn’t work today, but, with no better plan she made her way to Junior’s to idle away the long afternoon. She no sooner sat down that Weiss called to check up on her. The notion was sweet, but Yang couldn’t help but feel inadequate. A small and bitter part of herself felt insulted. It was as if she couldn’t be trusted to take care of herself. Yang also knew it was all in her own head. Weiss would never look down on her.

At the very least, though, Yang noticed she could be of some help. She lent a friendly ear as Weiss complained of family troubles back home.

“Of course, I have no intention of performing at another one of his charity benefits. I don’t want to entertain some wealthy man’s son for an evening, either. I came here explicitly to study. To no-one’s surprise, the word ‘no’ is an entirely alien concept out of anyone else’s mouth but his own. Furthermore, if his perpetual blather was not enough to infuriate me, he then proceeds to call Winter. What was even the point!?”

“He probably thought she would convince you to go…”

“Winter hates him even more than I do.”

“Well, yeah, you’re right.” Yang says slowly. “But, she still talks to him all the time.”

“Her position in the military requires it. She doesn’t take tea with him for the pleasure of his company.” Weiss sighed at great length. “That man is absolutely insufferable I tell you. Absolutely, completely insufferable!”

“Dad’s, what a pain, huh?” Yang chuckled as she listened to Weiss ramble on about her father’s unpleasantness.

“A man who is as cantankerous as he is, could never be my father Yang.” Weiss replies, a heat in her voice masking years of pain. “He an insult to propriety and human decency. We both know he’s disinherited me completely. I no longer have any claim to the family fortune. He’s taken away everything I may have been entitled to. I don’t know why he thinks he can still influence what I do with my own bloody life.”

“Uh, because he’s an asshat.” Yang said dumbly, shaking her head and sighing when she realized that she wasn’t far from the mark. “Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn’t worry too much about him.”

“Oh, I’m not worried, infuriated.”

“Noted.” 

“Just who does he think he is, making demands from me when he doesn’t do a thing to look after my needs anymore...”

“Weiss, he knows exactly who he is, and that’s kind of the problem. He’s still your dad, no matter what you say.” Yang said, her voice easing up into something soft and understanding. “But you know what? Just because he’s your dad, doesn’t mean he has to be part of your family. Next time he pisses you off, just tell him to go fiddle and diddle himself someplace else.”

Weiss sorted indignantly. “Yang...that’s crass…”

“Not as crass a telling him to fuc-”

“Yang!”

”Alright, alright, easy on the blood pressure.” Yang laughed, seeing the blush on her friend’s face through the tiny screen. “Every dad gets a stick up his ass every now and then. Yours just got his lodged there permanently. Normally you just ignore him, and that’s what you’ve got to do this time.”

“I’ve been trying Yang.” Weiss breathed. “But he’s just so...” Weiss trailed off. “I’m lost for words.”

“Right, okay, sounds like he got under your skin a little bit. You can fix that.” Yang calmly told her. “Why don’t you just go to one of those fancy all-you-can-eat joints with Winter tonight. Order a little of that bubbly wine you both like so much…”

“It’s champagne.” Weiss deadpanned.

“Yeah, that’s the fizzy crap I meant.” Yang said with a nod. “Just, go do that. Put work down, have a nice dinner, and enjoy some sisterly bonding. Take it from me, when you’re dad’s acting like an idiot, there’s no better cure than blowing off a little steam with the only other person in the world who actually gets it…and Winter totally does.”

Weiss seemed to think on this. “You’re probably right…”

“I know I’m right.”

“Thanks Yang…” Weiss murmured.

“Hey, don’t mention it…just, enjoy your vacation.”

“I will.”

Yang set down her scroll on the smooth wood of the bar, a soft smirk on her face. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned Junior’s attention. “Yo, Junior, something fruity, pretty, and with an umbrella.”

She missed her team, and by the sounds of it, they missed her just as deeply. She tried not to think too much of it. She had her own things to focus on. An orange colored drink slid her way. It was decorated with a red and yellow umbrella sitting lopsided against the glass. Lifting the drink to her lips, she took a delicate sip. It was just the way she liked it, and with a thumbs up toward Junior, she returned her gaze to her scroll.

Idly, she flicked through the news, hoping it would be a good way to pass the time.

It was only after a few hours, and her second umbrella topped drink, that the barflies began to slowly fill into their nightly haunt. Yang knew some of them as regulars, and a few others as Beacon students. There were some newcomers though. Young adults that she had never seen before. One of the new faces even approached her.

“You’re Yang Xiao Long. I saw you compete in the festival last year.” A young man dressed in black said, catching her attention. “Between you and that crazy chick with a hammer, the arena was all tore up.”

Yang looked to meet his gaze. He had to be about her age, grey hair and eyes. They were signs that he might be from one of the outer villages. Although Yang wouldn’t exactly say that she had a type, he was easy to look at. She leaned over her drink with a smile, toying with that little paper umbrella. A nervous habit of hers, which was why she liked them so much. “You saw that, huh?”

“It was kind of hard to miss.” He told her. “They were doing instant replays for weeks.”

“Oh yeah, it was an awesome fight.” Yang nodded, remembering the battle clearly. Taking the pointed end of her drink’s umbrella, she poked at a few of the ice cubes slowly. “That ‘crazy chick’ I was up against, we’re good friends. Her name’s Nora. The teachers don’t let us spar in class though, ‘cause, well…” Yang trailed off with a smile. “You saw the arena. They don’t want us doing that to the class room.”

“I believe it.” He said leaning heavily on the wooden bar. “What was your team’s name again?”

She smirked, dropping the umbrella back to its place. “Team RWBY. I haven’t seen you around before. Are you a student?”

“I’m transferring in with my team for the new term. The name’s Mercury Black.” He told her. “You mind if I sit?”

Yang just smiled and gestured to the open chair…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this installment of "A Daughter's Road" and will joining next week either Monday or Tuesday (not sure which just yet) for the next chapter. As always, thank you all for the kudos, like, follows, and comments.


	4. Yang’s Lonely Summer, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the last chapter. We see the rest of Yang's summer as she comes to a few bitter realizations.

A hangover, a tied condom in the trash, and an empty queen sized bed.

That was all she woke up to.

Then again, that was actually normal.

Yang had always liked to have fun. Although she was always careful, she got around a little. It was no surprise that she woke up in the small apartment that she called her secondary home. It was the one gift her mother had left for her. The one single artifact that Raven Branwen not only had chosen to leave her, but chose to do so in a manner that confused Yang to this day. She recalled meeting the woman under the shattered moon.

Yang had seen those deep red eyes for the first time, and felt as though all was right with the world. That feeling crumbled soon after. Raven had given her an envelope, offered her a small squeeze on the shoulder, and walked away. There was a letter, a key, and a bank account. The money within was meant to care for the apartment, the objects within, and ensure that Yang always had a roof over her head.

Raven had disappeared again, without a trace.

At first, Yang had considered selling the place. Once she entered, she changed her mind. In this dusty, forgotten place, fond memories of Summer Rose seemed to be alive and well. Some walls were even painted in her signature artful designs. This was the first apartment team STRQ ever lived in after graduation, and now, it belonged to Yang. To be honest, Yang rarely even used the apartment. Still, it sure beat going back to a lonely dorm, or an empty house deep in the heart of Patch.

She sighed deeply as she looked up at the ceiling.

Splotches of handprints and profanities littered it. Likely Qrow’s doing, maybe her dad’s. It didn’t really matter, she supposed. A scenic landscape covered the wall nearest her bed. She knew it well, as a kid that very view had been her back yard. She turned on her side. A set of cobbled together bunk beds on the other side of the room had seen better days. Shadows loomed on that far side, eyes painted red, peeking out from a sea of black. The end table between the two sleeping spaces were little more than two crates. One stacked on top of the other.

An old diary rested there. It had torn pages missing, but it had clearly belonged to Summer Rose.

Sitting up in bed, Yang reached for it, flipping through the pages. Old sketches were inside, and obsolete study notes. There were dried stains where colored liquid had been spilled, probably someone’s drink. A few of the pages stuck together in a clump. Yang closed the book with a ragged breath. If the walls could talk, she was terrified of what they’d say.

“I should probably give this to Ruby.” Yang murmured, feeling guilty for holding onto it. “Maybe…” Yang shook her head, setting it back of to the side. “Maybe after graduation.”

Was it so bad to want to keep it for herself? To hold onto it for just a little while longer? Was it so bad to ask for a little more time, when it seemed like such a precious commodity often slipped through her fingers?

Desperately needing a distraction, she reached for her scroll. She hoped that her friends were thinking about her. She certainly thought about them. With the press of her finger, the screen lit up. Several missed calls from Blake, and a handful of texts from Ruby and Weiss waited for her. It was then, Yang thought to herself that today would be a good day. First she got dressed, then, she called Blake. They chatted off and on about current events and senseless things, until Blake seemed to get quiet, a thoughtful expression lingering on her face through the scroll’s small screen.

“What-cha thinkin’ about?” Yang asked.

“Oh, nothing really. One of the floral arrangements caught my eye.” Blake said a moment later. “It reminded me of Ruby, that’s all.”

“She left another village this morning, so she’s out of tower distance.” Yang said knowingly. “I got a text from her saying she’d call when they hit the next one. Knowing Qrow, it won't be too long.”

“She sent the same thing to me.” Blake nodded. “You know, it’s funny. I’ve been to so many gatherings sitting with my dad, but I mostly tuned them out. It never really hit me that there’s so much planning that goes into one of these coupling ceremonies. Humans just sort of stick a ring on their finger, and that’s the end of that…but our ceremonies can sometimes take place over the course of years.”

“Well, we do that too, sometimes.” Yang said. “Some people plan huge weddings that take forever to plan. It’s not like humans get hitched right out of the gate.”

Blake nodded, her eyes still transfixed on a sight off screen. “That’s true, but, I have not even begun to court Ruby properly, as would be expected of me if she had been born a Faunus.” The cat faunus laid one ear flat to the side, her fingers reaching up to scratch an itch just behind it. “And to be honest, because she’s not a Faunus, is it even the right thing to do?”

“You’re asking me?” Yang asked as she sat near the window. She could tell the early sunlight was catching her hair. “Like I would know something like that?”

Blake went to speak, but stopped herself. The tip of her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. Blake’s pensive expression lingering. “Would your dad even approve of me? Would he hate if I tried to rope Ruby into something like that? I mean, when it comes to Faunus, we have some pretty stringent customs...”

“Blakey, my dad never married my mom. If you want to get technical, I was born a bastard.” Yang told her, laughing it off. “I don’t really think it’s a big deal. If you’d just talk to the man, you’d know he doesn’t have a whole lot of give-a-damn about all of that garbage. He just wants Ruby to be happy. However that happens, that’s pretty much up to her.”

“He only knows me as part of your team, and the way I see it, he has every reason to hate me.”

“Hmm, nah, I don’t think so.” Yang laughed. “Our dad’s a big softy, all Ruby needs to do is pout, and he’ll cave for sure…”

“I wish I could say the same about mine. My father might seem very relaxed, but when it comes to particular customs, he’s very adamant about them.” Blake said. “There are many things to do when it comes to preparing for a proper courtship. Although, usually such things take place between men and women. It’s very old fashioned, actually.”

“Sounds boring to me, but, to each his own.”

“To some degree it is. Honestly, there are another three of them today, and they’re all sort of just blurring into each other at this point. I’d rather be with Ruby on that mission of hers…even if she _is_ on horseback.”

Yang nodded, sympathizing with her friend. Yang knew if she were cooped up inside a ceremonial halls for weeks, she’d go stir-crazy. “Yeah, I get that. Don’t let it get you down though, the summer will be over with soon enough…”

* * *

 

Yang’s summer romance with Mercury was short lived. Eight dates over the course of a few weeks, and most of them ended the same way as the first.

She woke up in the empty apartment naked and alone. Usually condoms were in the trash, and her head always throbbed. The dates were fun, the sex was great, but the day after always hurt. Mercury Black was just the sort of person she needed to liven up her day, but his motives were obvious from the start.

He had no real interest in her heart, only her body.

At first, she was okay with that. It was a good way to blow off a little steam, if nothing else. Now though, she was starting to wish that he would stay. She wanted to wake up wrapped in his arms, or at least to a note. Instead, he left her with nothing. It couldn’t go on like this, not if she wanted to keep her pride. She called him and asked him if he wanted to be more.

He turned her down.

It stung a little. More than Yang would have expected if she hadn’t suspected her growing attachment.

After a good long look at herself at the bottom of a few beers, Yang decided it was a hard lesson learned. She supposed longing for someone else was normal at twenty. That’s how it should be for a person her age. She figured that most people would want to start thinking about their lives in a more steadfast way. Most people would want to look for that special someone that would really be there when it mattered.

She wasn’t like most people though. Her friends and family weren’t like most people, either. No, they were hunters and huntresses, and so was she.

She had been raised to see life through a different lens.

A few nights of meaningless sex was just easier to deal with. It didn’t harm anyone, and it killed off the loneliness for a little bit. Her justifications made sense to her intrinsically. The logic was part of her, right down to her flesh and bone. Her blood was the echoing cry of those before her, a heritage as old as time itself. Hunters and huntresses were vagabonds, many of them solitary. Others collected in small groups, generally unkind to outsiders.

She would probably never settle down, and because of that, she would never be normal.

No one wanted to love a woman like that. If anything, the life Yang wanted to live was dangerous. To a point, it was deadly. Most young huntsmen didn’t want a girlfriend like that. Hell, most guys would never dream of a wife like that. If she were honest with herself, she didn’t want to burden someone with her unpredictable life, either.

She knew what loss did to people.

She’d seen it.

She’d experienced it first had.

She had come to grips with what little catharsis grieving provided. She had gone through the motions, but, she’d been jaded and changed by the people she lost. For better or worse, she could never be sure. The deep scars it left behind were incurable. Always silently festering. For Yang, that was an unquestionable truth.

So, she came to a conclusion.

If a little romp in the sheets was the best she could hope for, she would make peace with that. She would cut Mercury out of her life before it was too late. Before it had the chance to really hurt. She was done with him. Yang deleted Mercury’s number from her scroll, and that was the end of that…

She could go on with her life, and he could go on with his.

“That’s it, we’re done for the day.” Glynda said sternly as she watched her student spit blood into the trashcan.

“No we aren’t.” Yang said. “I’m not finished here, and I’ve got an hour left.”

“Your aura shattered two fights ago.” Glynda rebuked, looking down at her white glove, now stained crimson. “You’ve been at this all morning, and all you have to show for it is a sore jaw. You’re in no condition to keep up this level of training.”

“I told you I’m fine.” Yang shot back as she bent over trash, spitting blood one final time. “I can do this. You could beat the hell out of me, and I’d still get up.”

“While I admire your enthusiasm, pushing yourself to this point is not the answer.” Glynda replied with her usual firm tone. “Furthermore, I agreed to continue your training until you sustained an injury, which you have. Therefore, our training has concluded.”

“I’m a boxer. You think I’ve never bitten the inside of my cheek before?” Yang asked darkly. It hurt, but it was a pain she knew well. “You think I have time to just sit around and wait for my aura? Well, I don’t. What happens if I’m out there in the field? What then? Grimm aren’t going to stop. Why should you?”

Glynda narrowed her eyes, seeming to think on that. It was a fair point. She peeled her gloves off one by one, folding them inward so that the blood wouldn’t contaminate anything else. Then she cleared her throat and sat down on the nearby bench. “Let me ask you this; what exactly did you hope to gain when you sought my tutelage?”

“I told you when I signed up, I just wanted to get stronger.” Yang said as she looked away, her fingers coming up to brush against her bruising jaw. “That a problem?”

“So, your answer hasn’t changed in the slightest.” Glynda muttered, obviously unhappy with the lackluster response. “I suppose that’s all I can expect out of you, isn’t? Typical, the fruit doesn’t fall from the tree, it seems.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s exactly as I said.” Glynda replied as she stood to her full height. “You’re a huntress-in-training. Your father should have beaten that false bravado out of you years ago while he trained you. Though, he’s never been the sort to get heavy handed when it counts. That’s why he’s suited for young children, and not aspiring adults. It’s a shame too. You lack the discipline to truly master your craft.”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?” Yang asked, defeated.

“Being here is no longer enough. The sort of training you require takes more than that. At this point, you’re bound to struggle.” Glynda told her. “It’s not that I don’t understand why. It’s that I expected better out of you.”

“Then hold me to that higher standard, and make me fight!”

Glynda shook her head, dismayed by that. “Don’t act like a child.”

“I’m trying to act like a huntress!”

“And you’re failing, horribly!”

“Then teach me how not to fail!”

Glynda released her fury with a few tense breaths, commanding control over her emotions. She had only come across one student that had been more difficult in her entire life. The memories were unpleasant to say the least. She pushed them aside too, choosing not to dwell in the past. It was no longer her concern. Yang was her current priority, and the girl deserved due diligence.

“Firstly, you fight like a boxer, not like a huntress.” Glynda began. “Secondly, in combat you never think with a level head. Thirdly, you try to plow through anyone’s semblance with brute force and a prayer. Fourthly, you look exactly where you’re going to land your next strike, and you make it obvious. Against any reasonable opponent, that just wouldn’t do.” With a layer of heat blanketing her voice, she held her head high. “Need I even continue?”

“Nah, I heard you loud and clear…”

“There are so many areas that you must improve upon. Countless, really, if you hope to become a stronger fighter.” Glynda continued. “However, what you fail to understand is that beyond a certain point, physical strength no longer matters. Combat ability, in and of itself, has a limit. You have reached it.” She said, slapping one hand over the other, as if that would make her point. “If it were down to pure skill, and absolutely nothing else, you would be my equal. Yet, you lack something equally important.”

Yang just looked at her. Whatever ego she’d had stepping into the ring had been crumpled up and stomped on. There was nothing left of it. Just an aching jaw, and a wounded spirit. She looked away, but the sound of clacking heels told her that Glynda was approaching.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Glynda tempered her voice. “A license is only a tool, nothing more. It will only carry you as far as your own ambitions allow.” She told the girl. “Your team has always understood this. They entered into Beacon with a specific sort of goal in mind. They’ve trained towards it continually for the past three years. Meanwhile, you have only trained for the sake of training itself.”

“Yeah, and I’m top of the class when it comes to my fists. Look at me, I can beat out Pyrrha with my bare hands.” Yang said. “Something’s gotta be said for that, right?”

Glynda could only sigh. It spoke of something. Yet, she knew it was not enough. “Why do you want to be a huntress, Yang?”

The blonde could only shrug. “The thrill of it, I guess. Getting out there, seeing the world. Having a few adventures. If I help people along the way, then it just works out for the best for everyone.”

Glynda merely nodded. “You call yourself a thrill seeker, you say you want adventure, but those things lack the discipline of your teammates. Frankly, it shows, and you’ve begun to notice. You’ve reached your peek for the goal you set. You could walk out of this room right now, and do everything you’ve just said. You require no further training for any of that.”

“Well, yeah…but if I did that, I would never get the chance to be a huntress.” Yang told her. “It would feel like I was just giving up, you know?”

“Then, I’d suggest you rethink your motivations.” Glynda replied as her hand slipped off of Yang’s shoulder. “You must find a larger goal, and then you must aspire to achieve it. You should never be without a strong motivation to further your training.”

Yang seemed to think on that, thumbing away the sweat on her upper lip. “Yeah? What was your goal, then?”

Glynda cleared her throat. “I became a huntress in the heat of war. Civil disputes were common. I decided I didn’t want to use my license that way. Instead, I became a professor, one of the youngest in Beacon’s history.” It was with a somewhat bitter laugh that she shook her head. “Like you, I thought training for the sake of it was enough. A team of students proved me very wrong. I found myself faced with a situation that I was in no way prepared for. I lost one of those students. In fact, to some degree, I lost them all. So, I swore to myself, if I ever got a second chance, I would not let history repeat.”

“Sounds pretty heavy to me.” Yang murmured, stuffing her hands into her too tight pockets.

“It is.” Glynda agreed resolutely. Outside of one of the large windows, a black bird sat in a nearby tree. “I still don’t know if I’ll succeed, but, that’s the journey. If I give up, I’ll never know.”

Yang took a few soft breaths. Clenching and unclenching her fists. She knew Glynda was right. The only problem was, she had no idea what she would do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter: the group gathers back together.


	5. Together Again

Ruby was the first to return near the end of summer break. When she first arrived, her hair had grown into a shaggy mop that needed to be cut. She was grungy, and reeked of dried river water. A product of bathing in whatever stream she could find. Mud caked her boots, and the extra inch she had gained foretold of what would probably be her final growth spurt. The road had treated her well, considering it's harsh condition. Blake arrived a few days after that, more than happy to retun to life in the dorms.

Yang could only be amused at the reunion of Blake and Ruby, who seemed to stick to each other like glue during the final days of vacation. They tried to include Yang, of course, but the blonde couldn't help be feel like she didn't quite belong. Finally, the dorm was starting to feel like home again, and yet it seemed so out of place. Yang doubted anyone noticed, and truth be told, she didn't want them to. Instead, she counted down the final few days until their team would be reunited in full.

Weiss would be the last to arrive, as always.

Finally the day came. Wises would be flying to Vale in a first class atlesian vessel. The eager team members decided to go down to Vale’s docking station and wait for her to arrive.

“Okay, so do we all remember the plan?” Ruby asked as she practically skipped her way down the long, bustling hallways.

“It’s not hard to remember, Rubes.” Yang chuckled as she cracked each of her knuckles. Her long legs easily keeping pace with her rambunctious sister. “We just need to get Weiss, and beat Team JNPR back to Beacon before they have all the fun without us. Those first year students are going to piss themselves if they see us riding through the forest on a pack of White Grimm.”

“I still think this is a bad idea…” Blake trailed off, knowing her rationality would fall onto deaf ears.

“Don’t forget, we have to do it without getting caught.” Ruby pointed out as she turned on her heel. “Besides, I think it'll be fun. Nora’s probably at the spot already.”

“Wouldn’t put I passed her.” Yang grinned.

The cat Faunas among them sighed long and hard as she followed after her red hooded girlfriend. She loved the girl dearly, but Ruby had always been excitable by nature. “I’d like to think that Weiss will veto this very idea before you put it into practice.”

“She’d have to stop us first.” Yang said.

“Or, simply refuse to summon any Grimm for you to ride in the first place. That would put a stop to it.” Blake deadpanned. “Even if she does decide to humor you, I am not riding on a Grimm through Forever Fall.”

“Not that it really matters if she says no.” Yang shrugged. “Though if she does, someone’s going to have to keep Nora from going to find a real ursa again. Actually…that would work too.”

“What is it with you and Nora, anyway? Every year, you two chuckleheads want to re-live our initiation.” Blake sighed, slapping a palm to her forehead. “Goodwitch will be expecting us this year for sure.”

The three teammates collided when Ruby came to an abrupt stop. Silver eyes blinking thoughtfully and Yang pushed herself up from the ground. “Damn it, sis, what gives?”

“It feels like we passed this cross kingdom check-in before.” Ruby said, pointing up towards the sign. “That looks familiar.”

“I think that’s because we did pass it.” Blake murmured. "The Atlesian docking stations are made in a big circle."

“Did we really come by this way before?" Yang asked, obviously clueless. “I was sort of just following you guys.”

“Three times, in fact.” Blake said, gesturing back to the way they came. “All the docking stations coming in from Atlas are back that way.” She said pointing over to the long strip of hallway they just came down.

“Yeah, but Weiss said they’re coming in on Winter’s private ship.” Yang protested. “Maybe she’ll be somewhere else.”

“They’d still be docking in the Atlas side.” Blake said with a shake of her head. “The ship has atlesian license plates, and an atlesian pilot.”

“This is stupid, I feel like ever since they made that new addition this place feels like a maze.” Yang grumbled. “What was wrong with the way it was before?”

“Be glad you’ve never seen the one in Atlas then.” Blake grumbled. “I was lost for hours trying to find a friendly face to take me to my hotel. I don’t know how common commuters stand it.”

“They probably just get used to it.” Ruby mumbled thoughtfully, eyes still fixated on the large white and blue banner. She seemed to consider it, pursing her lips with a soft hum. “Instead of wandering around, maybe I should just ask for directions. I’ll be right back.”

The hooded girl walked towards a desk with a woman sitting behind it. Meanwhile, the two partners stood side by side in comfortable silence. It was the first time the two of them had been alone together since Blake had arrived. Normally, Yang wouldn't have thought twice on the matter, but she was compelled to regard the cat Faunus beside her. She trusted Blake, and she'd never doubt her in the slightest. Yet, that was part of the problem. There was one question, and it served to addle Yang’s mind until she found the courage to ask.

“So, uh, Blakey…” Yang trailed off, noticing the way that amber eyes flicked to her. It was more awkward than she suspected as she looked down at her feet. Twiddling her fingers as she broached the somewhat tender topic. “How did things go? Did you tell any of the elders about Ruby?”

“I didn’t.” Blake said, biting her lower lip, nibbling on it lightly before scowling. “I’m supposed to wait. You know that.”

“I do, but, I just thought that you might make a hint or something.” Yang said. "You know, test the waters. See how things go?"

“It wasn’t like the idea didn’t cross my mind, Yang.” Blake said, the ears atop her head flicking back nervously. “To be honest, I’m more worried about my dad than the White Fang right now. He doesn’t mind Ruby, but he’s made it clear that he doesn’t see her as a suitor for me. He gets a little grouchy whenever I bring it up.”

Blonde eyebrows lifted before furrowing in concern. “Oh… What makes you think he’s not okay with it?”

“Ruby’s a human.” Blake murmured sadly. “Or maybe it’s because she’s a girl. I’m not quite sure. He’s never made it clear. Then again, knowing my dad, it's probably something more abstract.”

“Uh, maybe it’s _because_ he’s your dad…” Yang said with a hint of humor in her voice. “Ever think he’s just worried about you? Doesn’t want you to put your heart out on the line too fast and end up getting hurt?”

“Maybe…”

“Blakey, use your head a little here.” Yang told her. “Your dad’s a gigantic cat Faunus made of muscle, and claws. He could rip Ruby in half if he really wanted her gone."

"That's..." Well, Blake couldn't deny it, even if she wanted to. "That's true..."

 "When it comes to you and your mom, he’s just a big standoffish ball of purrs and cuddles." Yang said then. "Sound like anyone else we know?”

“Shut up.” Blake groused, her ears flattening entirely as she glowered at her friend.

“Lova ya too, future kitty-in-law.” Yang teased gently, patting Blake on the head for good measure.

“Don’t make me throttle you.” It was an empty threat, and they both knew it, but Blake still swore by it anyway. She kicked a wad of litter off to the side, eyes fixated on that crumpled mass of paper. The rumpled and dented face on the side was indistinguishable, but for some reason, that agitated her more. “I hated going to all those ceremonies by myself. Since none of the White Fang leaders know about my relationship with Ruby, I was introduced to a lot of young men…it was horrible.”

“You know, if it was that bad, you should have said something over the scroll when we talked.” Yang told her, sympathy dripping into her voice. Concern lingering at the edge of pity. “I know it wouldn’t have changed anything. Still, I would have listened to you vent, you know that.”

“I didn’t want to cause a scene. I was there to represent my family, nothing more.” The cat Faunus let out a sigh as she let her golden eyes gaze swing back to Ruby, who was still talking with the receptionist. “Sienna Khan, the high leader from the Mistral was there. She brought Adam with her.”

“The bull Faunus?” Yang asked.

“Yes, that’s him.” Blake nodded, glad that Yang actually did pay attention when Blake complained about White Fang related gatherings. “Since he’s her protégé, he’s always with her. He was there looking for that special someone. He set his eyes on me, and let’s just say, it didn’t go well. I turned him down as politely as I could. He didn’t really like that and kept pushing, so I pushed back. Adam and I don’t always see eye to eye about…well, anything...not really.”

Yang smiled almost ruefully. “And here I thought that you didn’t want to make a scene.”

“I didn’t _want_ to. It just happened.” Blake hissed, eyes flicking over to Ruby. She never wanted that sweet and gentle soul to ever doubt her. Blake had worked hard to earn the trust of her team, and now that she had it, she clung to it like a vice. The idea that Ruby might see anything as a betrayal terrified her. “It was such a mess. My dad had to call Sienna and smooth things over.”

“I can see why that would be a pain in the butt…” Yang nodded.

“I’m just glad to be back in Vale.” Blake said quietly. “Being away from Ruby was difficult. More than I thought it would be.” Blake narrowed her gaze thoughtfully. She had no idea how to describe her feelings, her expression growing stern. “They say when a Faunus truly bonds to someone, they do it for life. I feel like the more I’m away from her, the more I understand why. It scares me to think that Ruby might not have the same attachment to me, as I do to her.”

“You’re joking right, that little tornado of cookies and clinginess?” Yang said, nodding over to her sister. “She doesn’t know how not to get attached to people…”

* * *

 

Snowstorms in the north had caused more than a few delays. The three teammates had to kill some time at a nearby food court. Ruby indulged in some sweet treats while Blake sipped at her tea. Yang’s indulgence in a gigantic beef burger promised indigestion later. They all huddled around the small and uneven table, three sets of eyes watching the clock eagerly.

“I thought I might find you here…” Their long sought after forth member called. Her impressive lung capacity commanding her delicate voice/ It echoed in a way only a singer's voice ever could. Weiss jogged down the long hallway that the trio had come from hours before. A servant followed after her, carrying two white suitcases and a duffel bag. The poor man looked terrified, as if he had never once left the safety of the Schnee family shadow.

“Weiss!” Ruby shouted with glee, as she charged at her partner. The table nearly upending from the force of her semblance. A flurry of rose petals littered her path as Ruby launched herself at the shortest of the team. The speed nearly bowling both of them onto the hard stone floor. “You came back.” Ruby said happily, quite content to continue hanging off of her partner.

“Of course I came back you dunce, classes are about to start.” Weiss indignantly demanded, her vision completely blocked by the red garment her partner wore. With one free hand, she peeled back the red hood out of her eyes. "Now get off of me this instant."

“Hmm, Nope!”

“Off, I say!” Weiss shouted, but that tactic only encouraged Ruby to cling more tightly. “Now this is just ridiculous. Get off of me before I freeze you to the floor.” Weiss grumbled as she pried her leader off of her, dusting the dissipating aura petals off of her clothes. “Do _not_ jump on me again. Really, Ruby, we’re in public. Show a little decorum, would you?”

Yang held back a smile as the commotion continued, nudging the Faunus beside her. The two of them made the short distance to the rest of their team, but Yang was the second to extend a greeting. “Yeah, sis, if you want to give a hug, you got to do it the right way. Like this….” Yang said, scooping Weiss up into one of her famous bear hugs, the strength of which Weiss didn’t even try to argue against. “We missed you, ya know.”

“I can see that.” Weiss merely rolled her eyes as her feet lost contact with the floor. Yang would have carried her round all day if Weiss even thought to allow it. Her exasperation was evident, but her next words were spoken more gently than the last. “I missed you too, but please, put me down…”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes…” Weiss ordered. “Stop being difficult.”

Yang was reluctant to do so, but gently eased Weiss back onto her feet. It was then that Weiss could finally exchange a much more subdued greeting with Blake. The one armed hug they shared was quick, but welcome.

“Well, if it isn’t the infamous team RWBY.” Winter said as she finally made her way to the group, a case of special dust in hand. Two more servants flanked her side. “I trust that you all stayed out of trouble during your vacation.”

“Define trouble.” Ruby said slowly with an impish grin.

Winter merely sighed. The action speaking for itself. “You were with that blasted uncle of yours. His unmitigated recklessness rests as a foregone conclusion. I was talking to the rest of your team, the ones much less likely to have blown anything up.”

“Speaking of which, Ruby, stand back.” Weiss said, putting another few inches between Ruby and the case Winter held. “I don’t trust you anywhere near that dust. It’s extremely volatile when jostled, and completely experimental.”

“What’s it do?” Ruby asked.

“That’s what we’re not sure of.” Weiss said. “Believe it or not, a newly discovered dust can take years to study. All we know for sure is that it doesn’t seem to by instantaneously dangerous to handle with care. The jury is still out on the long term effects, though. For all we know, it could be deadly with long term use.”

“Deadly…” Blake balked. “And you pulled that out of one of your family’s dust mines?”

“Of course we did…well, Winter did.” Weiss said, laying a hand on Blake’s shoulder. “How else are we to determine the safety of the miners? My father’s ill-advised practices aside, the Atlesian military would never want bodily harm to come to its citizens.”

Winter smiled softly as Weiss navigated the subject of dust miners in Atlas.

It was all the proof Winter needed that things were headed in the right direction. Her little sister had fundamentally changed during her time at Beacon. The difference was night and day. Interestingly enough, she had been influenced by those that were the least qualified to groom an heiress to succession.

Although, that in and of itself had produced some interesting results.

Winter recalled several phone calls over the last few years. At first, she had been shocked and awed by the idea that Weiss had a Faunus teammate. A Belladonna at that. It was nothing compared to when Weiss began openly ignoring her father’s calls. An action that had caused Weiss the loss of her allowance. Weiss hadn’t been intimidated, but, instead she had been emboldened by her father's anger. Over time, the team’s positive influence had even managed to encourage Weiss to relinquish her inheritance entirely.

Winter had fully supported the decision, and continued to put Weiss through combat school.

Once her little sister graduated though, Weiss would be on her own. Then it would be anyone’s guess how she would choose to support herself. Though, with the rest of the girls at her side, Winter doubted that her sister would choose a life of military servitude. It was a hard life. Somewhat lonely, and always difficult. Looking upon the four girls only served as a bitter reminder of the path Winter could have chosen for herself. One that was warmer than a slew of cold missions, and thankless servitude.

Still, her smile was genuine, even if it was small. “As refreshing as it is to see you all again, I should be going. I have to get these samples distributed to the proper authorities.” Winter replied, holding the box more securely as she protected the contents inside. “Weiss, I trust you’ll stay out of trouble and continue to achieve your exemplary marks.”

“Yes, Winter.” Weiss said with a smile.

“We need to get going anyway.” Ruby chirped all too happily. “It’s initiation day! We have to go meet all the first years...I wonder if Nora’s found that nevermore yet.”

“Nevermore?" Weiss asked, only to be pulled into a rough sideway hug by her blonde teammate.

"Only one way to find out!” Yang grinned. “See ya around, Winter!”

“Oh no, not this again…” Weiss sighed as she was all but dragged away by the enthusiastic blonde. “Yang, you can’t be serious.”

It was an odd sight to see, truth be told. Winter had seen many impossible things in her life, but few were as uncanny as the three women surrounding her sister. A Faunus, a Branwen, and an overactive young scythe wielder. The last of the three had even been trained by the most socially inept person that Winter had ever met. The older Schnee sibling only shook her head as Weiss was unceremoniously dragged away by Yang.

It was even more comical when she realized Weiss only spouted halfhearted protests when it came to the blonde’s actions.

“Well, I certainly don’t claim to understand the appeal of _that_.” The older woman murmured thoughtfully to herself as Weiss and her team rounded the corner. The servants flanking her side softly agreeing. “Although, on the other hand, when it comes to suitors, I suppose that Weiss could do far worse." One again, the servants agreed. Although they looked human, they were most certainly robots. They'd always agree no matter what. "Right then, as the old saying goes; what shall be, shall be…”


	6. Settling In

There was a simple comfort found between madness and idiocy. A lack of common sense seemed to come second nature, and most of them were completely alright with that. Those that weren’t grudgingly tolerated the insanity that plagued the dorm in the aftermath. It seemed as though nothing could ever change between the eight friends. The routines that they’d built during their first year in Beacon only continued to get more outlandish. That was to be expected, too.

“Nora, sit still.” Ren said for the umpteenth time. The unwavering calm in his voice was beginning to meet its match.

“Well, maybe if you stopped plucking at me with those tweezers, I would.” Nora said, sticking her tongue out at him before wincing as another thorn was pulled from her skin. “Ow!”

“I have to get the thorns out.” He replied calmly, a look of displeasure still sitting firmly on his face. It was subtle, but anyone who knew his composure well, knew he was actually livid. “Now do you understand why I told you to never do that again?” Ren murmured to Nora as he gently tended to the long thin cuts along her arm. “Nora don’t scratch it… _Nora_!”

“Sorry Ren…” The carrot topped girl deflated. “But, it was so fun.” Nora said as she resisted the urge to claw at the rashes covering her skin. “And now it’s really itchy.”

“Fun for whom?” Weiss asked as she shook her head, taking the time to tend to Yang’s wounds.

“For us.” Nora said. “Well, at the time.”

Weiss could only sigh. “I don’t care what anyone says, Ursa surfing is not a sport.”

“I don’t know, you seemed to be having fun at the time.” Yang said, tapping Weiss with her free elbow.

“Stop that.” Weiss replied with a firm slap to the wayward limb. The action causing the blonde to wince. “Leave it to you three to go stampeding through the thickets.”

“How long does Grimm ivy last for anyway?” Jaune asked, scratching at the red blotches and rashes all over his skin as Pyrrha covered him in white ointment.

“I don’t know. I’ve never catapulted myself head first into a patch of it.” Weiss shot back. She glanced at the two women who kept scratching themselves. Then back to Jaune. He was by far the worst off. “If I had to guess, it’ll probably go away in a few days…so long as the rash clears. Yang!” Weiss commanded, grabbing hold of her wrist. “For the last time, stop scratching, you’ll only make it worse.”

“He’s doing it.” She defended.

“He’s an idiot.” Weiss grumbled, her eyes narrowing as she roughly set down her tweezers. “Listen up! The more you scratch at it, the more you’ll spread the rash.” She ranted, one hand on her hip, the other hand wagging a finger in the air. “Grimm Ivy is not like the garden variety poison ivy found in most backyards. It can be very dangerous if treated incorrectly. The plant is carnivorous, and it has spines that eat right through aura. If you got trapped in those spines for an extended length of time, you’d eventually become plant food.”

“So...the more we scratch at it, the longer it’ll take to heal?” Yang asked.

Weiss nodded. “Yes, precisely.” She replied, going back to plucking the thorns out of Yang’s arms. “Scratch too much, and it’ll deplete your aura entirely. Now if you’ll stop fidgeting, I’ll dress the wounds.”

“Speaking of that, is it safe for Blakey to come in yet?” Ruby asked as she peeked in from the hallway.

“Not unless you want her passing out from the fumes.” Weiss said over her shoulder, barely able to brave the medicinal scent herself. “This ointment is treated with Schnee company dust, so you’re both banished until after the med kits are put away.”

“Aw, come on Weiss.” Ruby said. “It’s just rash cream, I can’t make that explode.”

“It’s not the exploding I’m worried about, Ruby. It’s Blake’s health.” Weiss said, holding the tube of medicine aloft. “The god awful smell is bad enough for me. What do you think will happen if we expose her to it?”

“Yeah, no kidding, this stuff reeks.” Yang said disgustedly. “Ugh, you better not be get any of that in my hair, Weiss.”

“If you shut up and stay still, you wouldn’t have to worry about that.” Weiss said, on the edge of annoyance.

The pungent odor aside, this was medication made for humans. Weiss wasn’t entirely sure a Faunus could be exposed to it. Today wasn’t the first time Weiss had treated Yang’s injuries, and she doubted it would be the last. So, with the resolve of a huntress, she squeezed some ointment onto her gloved fingers in order to apply it properly. There were so many scratches to cover. Then she would have to bandage them.

All in all, the task was taking longer than Weiss first thought.

Still, she knew it had to be offering Yang some measure of relief. Finally, Weiss was able to put the finishing touches on her medical care. Gently, she placed a coated gauze pad on Yang’s cheek, holding it there with two thin strips of tape. “There, now leave the bandages be, and for the love of god, don’t try to scratch over them.”

“Well, at least when we go to class, we’ll all look like mummies.” Nora said as she flopped down across the bed she was sitting on.

Neither of her bandaged companions seemed nearly as excited.

* * *

 

There wasn't much Yang could do wrapped in bandages, so she chose to tend to one of her little side projects.

There had been two bird houses at the apartment. They both sat side by side on sill in the small kitchen. One painted white, the other painted black. The colors had faded, the paint flaking off the moment Yang had touched them. It was just the sort of thing she suspected Summer Rose to keep around. In a burst of sentimentality, Yang had gone out and bought two small cans of paint. She brought the birdhouses back to Beacon with all of the care in the world. She’d been planning to paint them before, but she’d been distracted.

Now, though, with nothing else to pass the time, she could give them her full attention. Painstakingly, Yang restored the houses. The vibrancy returning with each stroke. She’d put them back on the windowsill when she had a chance.

“What are you doing?” Weiss asked, as she watched Yang sit on a small square tarp in the middle of the locker room.

“I found these just lying around.” Yang said, holding the white bird house in her hand. “I wanted to clean them up a little, give them a new coat of paint, and all of that. I was going to do it during vacation, but I never found the time.”

“So you’re going to do it now?” Weiss asked, eyebrow raised in surprise.

“Can’t get on my bike with this on.” Yang said, pointing to the gauze on her cheek. The wrappings on her wrists and belly were less obtrusive, but her helmet strap pressed painfully against the wound on her cheek. “You know me, I can’t just sit around. I’ve got to have something to do. Otherwise I go nuts,”

“And just what will you do with them once you’ve fixed them?” Weiss asked as she looked down to the nearly completed house. It was still wet, and would need a second coat. “They certainly can’t be kept in the dorm.”

“I know a place they’re perfect for.” Yang said with a smirk. “Don’t worry, it’s not like I plan to keep them in the room, or anything.”

“I’d hope not, Blake wouldn’t be very happy if you did that.” Weiss told her. “Although, I am curious as to where you found them.”

The blonde shrugged, her brush flinching in her hand enough for Weiss to notice. “It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“We’re all entitled to a little privacy. So, that aside, I suppose it depends.” Weiss said as she knelt down on her knees to get a better look. “It doesn’t have anything to do with that mysterious envelope you’ve refused to show us, does it?”

“Yeah, it does involve that. It’s nothing bad, though.” Yang said, her gaze glued to the house in her hand. Her fingers tightened around the sides just a little. “Besides, it’s not you and Blake that I’m trying to hide the envelope from.”

“Ruby then.” Weiss said jumping to what she thought had to be the only reasonable conclusion.

“It’s complicated.”

"Isn't it always?"

For a few tense moments, silence was all that Yang offered. Her intense gaze fixated on the wet paint that reflected the overhead light. Then, as she finished her project, she sighed. “I found some answers. In doing that, I ended up finding out some things that I can’t explain…and they’re things that have nothing to do with my mom.”

“Then, why is it such an issue?”

“Because it has to do with Ruby’s.” Yang shot back quietly. A small hint of shame in her voice. “I’d always thought things with Summer Rose were cut and dry. Dad told us that she went on a mission and died. To me, that was it. Open and shut case…now, I’m not so sure.” Yang cleared her throat. “I’ve found some things that make me wonder about it. It wouldn't be the first time dad's told us little white lies to protect us. The thing is, even thinking that things could be even slightly different, that’s like picking at old wounds. If it’s like that for me, I can’t even guess how it would be for Ruby.”

“Family has always been something of a sore subject for three-fourths of our team, Yang." Weiss had always been very mindful of that little truth. She didn't want reminders of her own parentage, after all. She'd never assume that Ruby or Yang would want to think of their own. Among the four of them, the topic was nearly taboo. "There’s a reason Blake and I tip-toe around the subject when it comes to Ruby.”

“And it’s the same reason that I haven’t told her yet.” Yang bit out from between slightly clenched teeth. There was no real heat to her words. Just stress, and fading sadness. “Until I really know how bring the situation up to Ruby, I think its best that I don’t say anything at all.”

“And these birdhouses are part of what you found?” Weiss murmured thoughtfully.

Even though Yang didn’t confirm it directly, the blonde didn’t need to. Weiss could see the conflict swirling in those focused lilac eyes. Old emotions had seated themselves in the depths of Yang’s mind. Her desire for knowledge could sometimes be like that of a bloodhound, tracking clues with relentless intent. Whatever Yang had found managed to claw at long protected scars, causing them to seep anew. Concern began to trickle into her thoughts, wondering if Yang would truly find anything that would lead to solace.

With a breath, Weiss forced herself to shove the matter aside before she was dragged down with it.

Instead, she offered something of a waning smile. “Put that aside for now. We’ve finally gotten our new dorm assignment. Professor Port handed them out today, but we only have the weekend to move rooms. Our old building is being closed for renovations.”

Yang nodded. “Yeah I heard about that. About time too, that building was the only one with communal bathrooms.” She capped the lid to the paint can, lightly pounding it back into place with her fist. Then she carefully put away her supplies, stowing them in her locker. “Did we get a corner room?”

“No, but we are across from JNPR yet again.” Weiss said, as if that was somehow a saving grace. “Ruby and Blake found out that our room measures out to be little bigger than before too. Don’t get too excited though, the bathrooms attached to the rooms are tiny. I don’t know about you, but I’ll still be going to use the showers at the end at the hall.”

Yang nodded as she finally placed away the birdhouses and slammed her locker shut.

* * *

 

Together, they headed in the directions of the dorms. Both of them walking side by side. They were just a little closer than what might be deemed friendly. Weiss paid Yang’s nearness no concern. The two of them kept walking in companionable silence. Weiss had noticed that Yang was calm when no one was around to encourage her questionable behavior. Yang had always been that way, although Weiss suspected that the underlying reasons were quite personal. Weiss had never asked, and Yang had never offered to explain the deeper details.

Weiss valued their time, peaceful as it was.

They could have gone on forever like that, and Weiss wound have been happy. All good thing had to come to an end, though, and their peaceful stroll was no different.

As they both entered the new room, Yang helped Ruby unpack the first set of boxes. Stacks of books waited to be shelved, and clumps of laundry waited to be folded neatly into drawers. The team got to work. Blake began with the two storage closets, packing away everything they didn’t need. Weiss safely stored the team’s dust vials and spare ammunition. The sisters stood side by side combatting the mountains of books, trying to sort the academic from the fiction.

It was then, that Ruby dropped a bombshell onto what used to be their normal routine.

“I think this year, I want to push the beds together.” Ruby said offhandedly as she sorted through the heavy tomes. "Mine and Blake's, I mean."

Yang snorted darkly, the idea entirely unfathomable. “You are not canoodling with Blake while I’m in the room. It’s bad enough that I sometimes walk-in on it, I don’t need it to be a nightly thing.”

“That was one time, and you didn’t see anything.” Blake defended from the depths of the closet. “We were fully clothed.”

“It was one time too much, thanks.” Yang said as she leaned against the wall of their new dorm room. Lilac eyes fell upon her sister. “Look, sis, you’re old enough to handle yourself, so I’m not going to get all preachy on the subject. I just don’t want to see it. Like I said, you’re my sis. If you want alone time, go bugger off somewhere like every other horny Beacon student.”

“Who said anything about being…well… _that_ …” Ruby blushed deeply. Her silver eyes looked down at her feet. “I want to sleep in the same bed as my girlfriend every night. Is that really such a bad thing?”

“Weiss, back me up here!” Yang barked, only receiving a roll of icy blue eyes as a response.

“As the voice of reason, if we push the two beds together, we’re going to lose a lot of floor space.” Weiss said to them. “Keep in mind, we still have more boxes to pack up and move."

"Not too many..." Ruby said, as though the defense would save her.

"We’ve had bunkbeds for so long out of practicality." Weiss said carefully. "We’ve only gathered more things in our time here in Beacon, not less.”

“But this room is bigger than the one we had before.” Ruby said, spreading her arms wide. “We even have two closets.”

“It’s not that much bigger, Ruby.” Yang said. “The bathroom door takes up part of that far wall too.”

Blake exited the closet on her side of the room. She had just assumed she’d share a bunk with Yang, just like she did every year. Yet, what Ruby proposed sounded heavenly. “Well, there are the two extra desks in here that we don’t need. We’ve never used all of the desks at once, and I really doubt we’ll start now. If we got rid of them, we could push one bed flush against the wall.” Blake theorized. “Then the other could go right next to it. It wouldn’t take up too much space, and then it would just be a matter of buying a larger set of sheets.”

Yang roughly grabbed Blake by the back of her shirt, pulling her in close. Lilac eyes started coloring red with each blink. “Don’t start. You’re going to break my brain.”

“I don’t know what you think you’re going to see, Yang.” Blake sighed dryly, shaking free from her partner’s grip. “I think you’ve probably advanced the state of my relationship with your sister by leaps and bounds.”

The blonde glared at Blake then. “And just what is the state of your relationship?”

Blake just scoffed. “Put it this way, it’s nowhere near what you do up on the spire when the teachers aren’t looking.”

“Wait…what?” Ruby asked, perking up behind another stack of books. These ones belonging to Weiss. Her gaze caught her older sister. “I always though you went to a hotel, or something...what are you doing up on the spire?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know what she does up there.” Blake said, with a near feline smirk. “Besides, we’re talking about my relationship with you, which Yang supposedly supports… _don’t you Yang_ …”

The blonde shook her head. “Oh, for god’s sake.…”

“Yang, perhaps we should be a little more reasonable.” Weiss said thoughtfully as she opened a nearby window to let the warm breeze in. “It isn’t as if this is a new development. They’ve been together for quite a while. As long as they both agree to keep their ‘personal time’ as strictly that, I hardly see the issue.”

Yang slapped a hand to her face, groaning in disbelief. She was sure Weiss would pointedly be against it. She turned to both Blake and her sister. “I can’t friggin’ believe I’m about to agree to this, but fine. You want to push your beds together, go for it.”

“Thanks sis.” Ruby said with a smile.

“Don’t thank me just yet. Blakey here, needs to swear to me that you two won’t do anything to break my brain.” Yang said, giving her partner a borderline murderous glare. “I mean it, if I hear you two going at it even for a second, I’m tossing you out of the window, head first.”

Blake merely sighed, looking at the blonde with her usual dry exasperation. “Yang, I solemnly swear that I won’t do anything that would obviously scar this entire team for life.”

Yang nodded, still not entirely satisfied. “Well, alright then. Weiss, guess you and I are bunkmates.”

The white haired woman had already suspected that would be the outcome, and resigned herself to the fate awaiting her. “I’ll go get the rope.”


	7. Studying Up

“Adorable isn’t it?”

It’s a question that grates roughly against the peaceful air. Weiss doesn’t like interruptions during her study time, but the tenderness in Yang’s voice implies the blonde isn’t bored. She’s obviously not trying to be annoying, either.

“They’re sickeningly sweet together, I’ll give you that.” Weiss says as she turns the page in her book.

The soft squealing of a highlighter against the page acts as a brief distraction. She folds over a corner of the page to mark the spot. All of her textbooks look this way. A mangled rainbow of color, sticky notes, and folded corners. After an entire school year of her abuse, it’s a wonder any of them remain intact. This new set of books had been pristine just hours ago. Yet, if the ones sitting on the shelf are anything to go by, this last rounds of books will see the most abuse of all.

Yang knows what she’ll see the moment she looks down, but she still doesn’t like the sight any less.

“Aw, come on, Weiss.” Yang says, grimacing at clutter surrounding her friend. Weiss has already begun laying out their study plans for the next month. If Weiss had her way, they’d have their noses pressed to books for hours at a time. “Forget about our grades for just a second. Look at Blakey all curled up and purring. It’s a rare sight.”

“You mean the way she’s curled all around your sister? Honestly, it makes me think this is more common than you realize.” The woman said, refusing to tear her gaze from the work at hand. “Although, I’d suspect it’s also less innocent when we’re not around.”

“Gross, way to trash the sentiment….” Yang mutters, a clear disgust edging into her voice. "Did you really have to say it that way?"

Weiss closed her book slowly, taking the time to look at the two students basking in the afternoon sun. At some point or another they had both fallen asleep. Blake and Ruby were oblivious to the world around them. Ruby murmured nonsense, and Blake purred. Both blissfully lost in the depths of sleep. Above her, Yang sprawled out across the bed that had been suspended by ropes. Two added metal chains held the bed up just in case the ropes themselves somehow caught fire. It was likely a needless precaution, but one that Weiss had insisted upon anyway.

The lilac gaze that met her own seemed stormy. Weiss couldn’t stand to look at that pained expression, and instead turned her gaze back to the couple that had caused it.

“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Weiss surmised softly, watching as one of Blake’s ears flicked absently against one of Ruby’s louder snores.

“Shouldn’t it?” Yang asked.

The loaded question left much to be desired. It was a precarious thing, really.

Instead, of spewing out the first idea that came to mind, Weiss swallowed down her immediate answer. She weighed her thoughts, testing the words on the tip of her tongue. “I don't know. When it comes to sharing a bed in our dorm room, I’d say it’s a fair concern. If I put myself in your position, I wouldn’t be too keen to see Winter sharing a bed with anyone, either.”

“Yeah?” Yang asked.

“Of course.” Weiss told her. “Moments like these shouldn’t be for our eyes to see. They’re intimate in their own way.”

“I don’t mean like that…” Yang replied, though the way she averted her gaze was troubling. It implied that she still wasn’t entirely happen about the new development. “I mean, in general.”

Weiss knew that, of course, but had thought the diversion might have been helpful. If only it had worked. Now, she was faced with an even darker implication, one that left a foul taste in her mouth. She studied the sleeping couple as if doing so helped her to search her own soul for answers. “A lot of people are going to be against them." Weiss finally stated. "I can’t blame you for being uneasy.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust them. It’s everyone else I don’t trust.” Yang said, as she started toying way a wayward strand of blonde hair. “My dad still treats Ruby and I like we’re kids…and Blake’s dad, he’s got high hopes for her.”

“I know that, and so do they. I'd like to think they're well aware of their circumstance.” Weiss said softly. “They’re good for each other, and that’s indisputable.”

Yang let out a sigh. “What if the people in the White Fang don’t like Ruby? I don’t like thinking that they’ll try to force the two of them apart.”

“I don’t think Blake will let that happen.”

“What if it’s out of her control?”

It was an odd thing for Yang to say. It would have even been funny, if it had not seemed like such a grave concern.

“One thing that this team taught me, is that it’s always within our control. We make our own choices, come of them what may.” Weiss said then. Deep down, she wanted to believe her words. “You need to have faith that they’ll be able to work it out.”

“I just don’t want either of them to get hurt in all of this…”

“Then all we have to do is prove that Ruby’s good enough. We start doing that by graduating with high marks.” Weiss declared decisively. The only way to protect her friends was to be prepared. Knowledge was the most powerful tool she had at her disposal. As she pulled herself up from her bed, she grabbed her bag and smiled. "Try not to worry so much right now. It's not an immediate concern that needs to be addressed. We have time, and we should take it." She hoped her expression and her words might instill some measure of comfort. “I’m going to the library to get ahead on studying. You three can meet me there after they wake up.”

“Weiss…what if that’s not enough? What if it doesn’t work out?”

The smile that had once been on her lips disappeared entirely. “Personally, I think that’s up to Blake."

"Not Ruby?" Yang asked.

"I don't think Ruby would ever give up. Then again, she doesn't have the same sorts of responsibilities that Blake does." Weiss told her. "We picked this life, Yang. If we’re going to be huntresses, then it’s our job to protect the peoples of Remnant. If the White Fang can’t accept Blake’s other responsibilities, or won’t accept Ruby, then maybe she doesn’t belong there anymore…that's only a choice she can make. Ruby can't force her.”

* * *

 

The solitary trip to the library was not as relaxing as Weiss had hoped for. Cogs turned in the back of her mind.

As the fourth year of Beacon began, Weiss fully expected their team to struggle. They didn’t make it this far by slacking off, and the final year promised to be even more difficult than the ones preceding it. The white haired woman sat in the student library preparing for the difficult onslaught ahead. Her books were set in carefully aligned stacks. Her notes on each book rested side by side. Her current project was medical dust application in the field. Three open textbooks and a browser on her scroll helped to beef up her research.

Ten pages of empty paper waited to be written on, and Weiss had been sure to prepare everyone’s presentation books the same way as her own.

While she waited for the others to eventually arrive, she wanted to get as far ahead in her own assignment as possible.

She worked diligently, writing out what parts of the body dust could be used on. She carefully detailed what parts of the body were not compatible. As a general rule, humans tolerated emergency dust treatments better than Faunus. In addition, men’s bodies were more likely to tolerate dust application than women. The treatments were often last ditch resorts, and very painful. The reasons for that were still being studied to this very day. Millions of lien went towards those all too important studies. The military and the Schnee family provided the funding and manpower for most of them.

There were some naysayers, of course. People claiming that the results were rigged by the atlesian government, or others in a position of power. Recently, other kingdoms had begun their own experimental testing in order to confirm previous claims made by James Ironwood, or her father.

Weiss struggled with her report. Many of the treatments were difficult to understand, even for her. She knew that she’d have to devote her entire afternoon to explaining the complicated dust theory homework to Ruby. Weiss frowned at that. she hoped this was one study session that would be clear of embarrassing questions. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d have to gloss over unpleasant truths about dust and bodily functions. She doubted it would be the last.

Dust was a finicky substance, even for one as knowledgeable as Weiss.

Dust theory was certainly Ruby’s worse subject by far. Dust when in regards to medicine was a sure way for team RWBY to fail a team research paper. She would have to help Ruby through all of it, and take extra care to explain what the teachers had not. Skipping two whole years in Signal had also meant that the girl had skipped two entire years of fundamental dust education. Ruby had spent all of her time in Beacon trying to catch up, relying heavily on Weiss to help pick up the slack.

That was not the only enormous gap Ruby had in her studies, either.

Weiss sighed to herself, pen in hand. The first page of her report was complete, but even that offered little in the way of accomplishment.

Loud raucous laughter broke her concentration. Cardin Winchester and his team were causing a ruckus as they found a younger Faunus to pick on. Then, a new voice joined the laughter. Blue eyes dragged away from her workbook to see who it might be. The grey haired young man stood cockily around the other boys. All five of them mocking the new first year. Weiss sighed then, pointedly slamming down her pen.

It was just loud enough to draw several glares from around the tables. She stood angrily, walking across the room. She stepped between Cardin and the fanged Faunus who now cowered in the corner. The girl scampering away before Weiss even got a good look at her. Then again, with the Schnee Company logo still plastered across her back, Weiss wondered just who the Faunus was more terrified of.

“Cardin Winchester, you are a contemptable excuse for man.” She told him venomously. Her voice intentionally low as she tried to keep the peace. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but, you’re going to stop this instant.”

“Easy there, princess.” Cardin grinned, leaning heavily on a nearby bookcase. “No need to get all huffy.”

Weiss narrowed her gaze. She had to crane her neck just to look up at him. Yet, he was hardly an intimidation. “Now you listen to me very carefully. You will leave that poor girl alone. If I catch you harassing anyone else, I shall report your constant disturbances directly to Professor Goodwitch.”

"You think that'll stop me?" He snickered.

"If it doesn't, I have other ways of seeing you punished." Weiss hissed from between her teeth so as not to cause a greater racket than had already been achieved. “Have I made myself clear?”

Cardin just laughed again, inviting the other boys to do the same.

“Is there a problem here?”

Weiss looked over her shoulder, seeing Pyrrha Nikos standing tall with a few books in her hand. “Nothing to concern yourself with.” She said as turned her gaze back to the group of five. “Merely a dispute about disturbing the peace.” Weiss said, still eyeing daggers at cluster of males in front of her. “Although, let it be known that the next disturbance I come across will be met with action.”

The champion’s eyes zeroed in on Cardin she stepped in close. “I presume this ‘disturbance’ was some form of bullying. Am I correct?” She said, watching as Weiss nodded. The small motion was enough to ignite in insipid fury in the redhead. “I see.” She said, as she looked to Cardin with disgust. “Mind your manners, Cardin, or I will retaliate.” With that, she pushed passed him as though he were nothing. Her shoulder colliding with his hard enough to spark aura between them.

With the dispute silenced, Weiss went back to her table. She felt only slightly placated when the boys found a table to sit around. Although, they were no less quiet as they pulled out a deck of cards and talked.

“And you wanted to date that Niko’s girl.” Dove laughed as he began doling out the cards. “What a bitch.”

“Nah, Nikos is just a bunch of hot air. Bitchy is better than crazy.” Russel said as though he actually believed the words coming out of his mouth. “That other girl on JNPR, she’s the one you have to watch for. She’s a wildcat.”

Weiss bit her cheek. Nora might have been a bit excitable, but she was a gentle soul, and Weiss had always known that. Weiss forced herself to ignore them. There was no point in arguing. They were jerks, plain and simple.

“Eh, Niko’s just needs to be bent over a desk and shown whose boss.” Sky replied, though his voice was quieter than the rest.

“And I suppose you think you’re the one to do it.” Weiss breathed soundlessly under her breath. She bit her cheek harder. She could taste blood in her mouth, but she was too angry to care.

“You’d be amazed what I’d put up with for a smoking hot babe. It’s fine though. Back home I met a saucy one, I think I’ll stick with her for a while.” Cardin laughed, hand slapping down onto the table as he slid his cards towards him. “What about you, Mercury? Have any of the ladies given you and your team a warm welcome since transferring?”

Weiss froze, locking away the stranger’s name within the depths of her mind. Mercury, was it? She’d have to look into him later.

“One, I guess.” Mercury said. “A blonde girl, her name’s Yang.”

“Wait a god damn second.” Cardin balked, another round of laughter shattering the silence. “Yang, as in Xiao Long?”

“Yeah,” Mercury said. “That’s her. We had a good thing going for a while. Really warm reception out of her.”

“Dude, you do realize she could snap you in half, right?” Sky said, not even bothering to hide his surprise. “I mean, she’s hot, but she’s not worth it man. She's a damn she-hulk.”

“Eh, she had a nice rack, so we shacked up for a bit. It’s no biggie now. We're completely over and done with.” Mercury said, tilting his chair back and resting his shoes on the corner to the table they occupied. “Said she wanted more than I was giving her. I didn’t feel like making it a thing, so I haven’t seen her since.”

That was the last straw on an already thin rope. Weiss could almost hear her resolve snapping in half. Along with it went her sense of decorum.

Weiss gripped her pen so tightly that it snapped. Residue of ice dust freezing the oozing writing utensil instantly. She grabbed her scroll, telling her teammates to meet her in the dorm later on. She didn’t want to explain what had happened. Instead, she gathered her things. White hot rage bubbled beneath her skin. She crinkled her pristine notes as she shoved them between the pages of her books.

She crammed everything into her bag with all of her other materials. Even her bag couldn’t withstand the force of her grip, frost collecting around her fingers as the leather crinkled in agony.

Slamming her chair back under the table, she grit her teeth as she passed by the boys. They reminded her too much of the wealthy young men in Atlas. The sort with more money than sense. Pausing just behind this ‘Mercury’ fellow, she intended to give him a piece of her mind. Sadly, all she found was empty rage. Instead, she let every ounce of vitriol slip from her lips. “Degenerate lowlifes like you, make me sick.” She whispered hotly as she stormed passed them and out of the library, slamming the glass door behind her.

The quickly frozen glass shattered on impact.

* * *

 

Weiss had never known a true desire for cruelty.

She had never felt the urge to cause true bodily harm to another living being in all of her life.

She knew vindictive pleasure on rare occasion, especially when karma got the better of those that had done her wrong.

However, this level of rage was new to her.

She knew anger tempered by loneliness. Fury fueled by failure. She knew annoyance, aggravation, and confusion brought on by the ineptitude of others. However, for the gambit of negative emotions that she had become well acquainted with in her life, never once had Weiss felt such a murderous rage. Those five young men could have dropped dead, and she would have been fine with that.

A flash of fire illuminated the area before a concussive burst of dust sent a training dummy flying against the wall.

Weiss cut through her electronic opponents one by one. Her elegant dance of dust and swordplay was as intricate as it was deadly. When she reached one end of the training room, she summoned a glyph beneath her feat. Launching herself high up, she twirled back down to earth again, taking some of the flight drones with her. With a well-timed flick of her fingers, another three drones went spiraling into another training dummy. The blast washed across her face.

She only felt heat. Nothing but a soothing warmth and flickering flame.

Yet, there were still more targets to remove. Weiss dropped down to one knee, stabbing her sword cleanly into the ground. The rest of her opponents meeting the frozen wrath of ice dust.

With that, the simulation ended, and the room around her turned black. Weiss closed her eyes, resting her forehead gently atop the hilt of her beloved Myrtenaster. She tried to get the crude words out of her head. It hadn’t been hers to hear. They pained her all the same. Weiss knew that she shouldn’t be surprised. Yang had always been a notorious flirt. The blonde seemed to feel better about herself whenever she’d caught the attention of someone.

There were times that Yang went missing, choosing not to return to the dorm after a date. Weiss had never asked, and Yang never spoke openly about the matter. Still, the team all assumed why it might be. Even Ruby had long since concluded that Yang was no saint. Yang just liked to indulge in carnal desire on occasion, and that was no one's business but her own.

Weiss sighed deeply, pushing herself up and withdrawing her sword from the floor. Then she stepped off to the side, resetting the censors around the room. They had no doubt seen abuse from her dust. After the ice had melted, tiles had replaced themselves. Finally, Weiss pulled out her scroll and reset the simulation. As all of the enemies returned once again, Weiss got herself into position.

Her body ached from the many rounds of practice, but she refused to cease.

She felt a stinging rage in her chest, bitterly clawing at her. Her eyes burned with salty wetness, but instead of acknowledging that, she propelled herself with a glyph directly into the fray. Her sword an extension of herself. She could dance this way forever if it would keep her mind off of Yang. Like a finely forged piece of steel, Weiss clamped down on her emotions, the training was all that mattered.

All she needed to do was succeed.

In the middle of this training round, a blur of black caught her eye. The sound of bullets whizzed by, and Weiss did a backflip into safety. Back to back, she felt the Faunus standing solidly against her. Weiss looked over her shoulder, Blake nodding as they continued the training. The two said nothing as they maneuvered around each other. Blake was really the only one who could twist and turn around Weiss as though it were nothing, the two of them flowing freely in a deft dance of footwork.

Neither of their team members could ever hope to achieve the unspoken synergy that engulfed the monochrome pair. Blake and Weiss shared a different sort of symmetry on the battle field. Weiss like water, and Blake like air. Ten more robots were dispatched quickly before the walls, ceiling, and floor turned black again. A small noise chimed, the simulation ending for the umpteenth time.

“Blake! That was a solitary program.” Weiss said as she reloaded her sword with red dust. “What are you even doing here?”

“You never showed up to team studying, or dinner. We figured you were caught up with something, but then you completely missed blackout combat training with JNPR too.” Blake said. “Ruby and I got worried.”

“We weren’t supposed to meet with JNPR until eight tonight.” Weiss said with a breath. Mild surprise at war with relief. She hated even trying to fight in the dark anyway, especially against Blake.

“Weiss, it’s already almost midnight.” Blake told her, pulling up the time on her scroll. “It’s okay though. We didn’t end up sparring since Yang and Nora had to cancel. Goodwitch found out what we were doing in Forever Fall, and that they were the ones who instigated it. Those two going to be running combat drills all night in detention because of it.”

Weiss grit her teeth and nodded. “I see. Well, that’s typical.” She began, as she smoothed out her combat skirt. “Either way, I apologize for worrying you. It wasn’t my intention. As for our missed study session, I’ll make it up to everyone later.” She said as she gathered her things. “I’m going to go for a walk. I promise, I’ll go back to the room after. Tell Ruby not to worry.”

“Hey wait, you can’t just bail out on me.” Blake told her, hand outreaching to grab a slender wrist. She beseeched Weiss to turn around, a small tug was all it took. “Besides, I think it’s pretty obvious something’s wrong. You’ve never ditched out like that. Normally you get man when _I_ ditch out like this...”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“Weiss, something’s really wrong here. I can tell, and even if I couldn’t, you weren’t exactly subtle.” Blake mumbled, nearly cringing. Blue eyes like a raging tempest leveled a questioning gaze back in her direction. For not the first time, Blake felt guilty. “People are saying you broke a swinging door in the library."

"Perhaps I did." Weiss bit out.

"Look, I know these things are training simulations, but you’ve been fighting the robots to the point of overkill. You've got to talk about it eventually.”

Pale lips flattened out as Weiss pulled away. Nervously she clutched at her satchel, her thumb running up and down the crease of the fabric. “You know precisely what’s wrong, Belladonna.”

“You still haven’t told Yang how you really feel, have you?”

Weiss bristled at the accusation, even if it was entirely true. “No, I haven’t. I told you before, it’s completely and utterly out of my hands. There’s no way she could have feelings for me. Even if she did, Yang is…she is…a wonderful teammate, and an irreplaceable friend.” Weiss swallowed back a lump in her throat. “Despite that, she’s hardly reliable when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“You don’t know that.” Blake said softly, ears folding down as her heart ached with pity.

“You said it yourself just yesterday.” Weiss shot back on the defensive. “We both know what she does up on Beacon’s spire. It doesn’t last, Blake, it never does. How could I possibly think that’s she’d treat me any different?”

“Because Yang is who she is, and because you are who you are.” Blake said gently with a small shrug. “It’s just the get feeling that I get.”

Weiss seemed to roll that around in her head, but in the end, it only upset her more. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. Her jaw clicked shut as all of her jealousy bubbled to the surface anew. Unlike the rage before, this feeling was simply lonely, and sad. She would never be able to compete. Never for a person like Yang.

“That’s not good enough.” Weiss murmured. “I won’t be another notch in her bedpost…I won’t….I can’t be.”


	8. The First Signs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The middle of the holiday season is upon us, and so I'm starting to get a little bit more busy. For those of you working retail or some other consumer service type of job during the black Friday and cyber Monday crunch, I feel your pain. It's almost as bad (if not worse) than return season. My insanely long work weekend is over now, thankfully, and I can finally get this out.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the ride on the feels train...

Their class packets were thicker than usual. Though none of them said it out loud, every fourth year student understood the implication. For team RWBY, the heavy workload towered over them like an omen.

Before they knew it, they were swept up in the tornado of homework and mission requests. If that had been the only thing to come between the team, it would have been just another year at Beacon. Yet this wasn’t just any year, it was their final one. The classes were harder, the training lasted longer, and the learning curve had ruthlessly increased as well. Just that afternoon, Professor Port released several alpha beowolves into his classroom without warning. He expected the early arrivals to dispatch the Grimm without help. The late arrivals had received almost double the Grimm, a grueling punishment indeed.

That wasn’t all, though.

As much as they were a team, they were also learning to be individuals for the first time. Not every foursome stayed together after Beacon, and this final year tested the bonds that had been built over time. They had a few separate classes now. What used to be a fairly relaxed timetable suddenly found itself regimented five days out of the week. Weiss had piled on a few extra classes. It made her schedule even more ludicrous than the rest of her team. No one bothered to stop her, knowing the effort to be futile.

Weiss could only hope her decision hadn't been a poor one.

She could already feel the fatigue as she pushed herself through the dorm room well after nightfall. She grit her teeth as she shifted her mission satchel, weapon case, and a small bag of groceries in her hands. The entire juggling act only serving to annoy her. With great effort, she edged the door closed behind her. Her gaze met the makeshift bunkbed close to the door. It was empty, but the dim light from beyond the bathroom door told of where Yang had gone. Then her eyes drifted to the two women bundled up under the blankets. Both of them were sound asleep and accounted for as well.

Weiss still wasn’t used to the sight, and deep down, she wondered if she ever would be. It felt odd, looking at them, knowing they were lovers. It was as if she was ruining a special moment made for only the two of them. Blake and Ruby certainly didn’t seem to mind, but, that didn’t make Weiss feel any less unclean. Something so precious shouldn't be for anyone else to see.

With a soft breath, Weiss set all of her belongings down on her desk as quietly as possible. She slipped off her shoes and set them aside. Then she began tiptoeing around the room, gathering her nightgown and pulling her hair out from the tiara it sat in. Her finger knocked on the bathroom door with gentle insistence. “Yang…” Weiss whispered as loudly as she dared. “Are you going to be in there for very long?”

The door cracked open a moment later. “Come on in.” Yang said as she held the door open for Weiss to enter. Yang gestured to her bandages. “I’m almost done. I’m just taking these off.”

Weiss took a closer look. The red patches were gone, and Yang's arms were blemish free. “I guess they’ve finally healed.”

“More or less.” Yang shrugged.

“Hopefully you’ve learned a lesson in all of this.” Weiss said, closing the door behind her so that she wouldn’t wake her teammates in the next room. “Although, your knuckles hardly look healed to me.”

“I went a few rounds with a punching bag.” Yang said as though it were nothing of concern. “It didn’t go very well. It doesn't matter though, they'll heal up by morning.”

“Your aura has come back, hasn’t it?” Weiss asked with an upraised eyebrow. "These bruises shouldn't be here."

“Yeah, it has, come back. At least, that's what my scroll says. For some reason it didn’t activate innately like it usually does." Lilac eyes gazed at the bruises, a frown ghosting across her face. It was gone in the same instant that it had arrived. Yang's careless smirk replaced it. Still, the supposedly happy emotion didn't reach her eyes. "It's probably just because of the Grimm ivy. Maybe it wasn’t all out of my system like I thought.”

“Maybe.” Weiss said slowly, giving the notion due consideration. “Although if your aura has returned to full capacity, then I’d doubt that’s the case. You might want to check with a nurse.”

“It’s not a big deal, these are just bruises. It was probably just a fluke.” When the final white bandage hit the trash, Yang stopped studying her hands. “I’m stronger than I look. Besides, it doesn’t even hurt.”

“I know you’re strong and you always bounce back. I don’t think anyone in this school doubts that.” Weiss conceded, though she wasn’t quite sure she believed her own words. “Regardless, I would have preferred if you hadn’t been so rough. You could have done actual damage.”

“Nah, it’s nothing. Besides, I need the extra hours training works towards extra credit in one of my classes.” Yang said, pulling a small vial of aura oil from just behind the sink, letting a few drops spill into her palm before she rubbed her hands together vigorously.

“Which one?” Weiss asked.

“Advanced combat studies.” As if it dawned on the blonde, she laughed. “Oh, man, I totally forgot to tell you. I decided to drop Peach’s field medicine course. Professor Goodwitch suggested I enter into her class instead, and I thought it was a good idea…”

“What?” Weiss couldn’t believe her ears. “Why would you do that? You’re only a handful of credits away from being a certified medical dust practitioner. You’ve worked so hard for that.”

“Was I?” Yang asked.

"You know you were. Why would you drop her class now?" Weiss scowled in confusion.

“Weiss, look at me. Look at what I am.” Yang said as she flexed. Her muscles rippled, a testament to the years of effort she’d put into sculpting her body into a lethal force of brute strength. “I’ve been riding steady on your grades for the past three years. If it wasn’t for you, I never would have passed any of Peach’s classes.”

“How could you say that? You put in the hours. You wrote those term papers. You passed your tests.” Weiss shot back, an edge of hurt in her voice. “You earned your own grades, I had nothing to do with it.”

“Yeah…” Yang said as she backed away. “You keep thinking that.”

“Alright, I will. I believe it to be the truth.” Weiss said softly. “Either way, you mustn’t forget that we’re a team. None of us would have made this far on our own.”

“And some of us would have made it way further than others.” Yang pointed out. “You don’t have to sugar coat it. I know I'm a weak link.”

“Beacon was never made to be an exclusively solitary experience.” Weiss told her. She knew it was going to fall on deaf ears.

Yang was already looking away, her hands clenching into loose fists. "It was never really made for people like me, either. At least not Peach's classes, that's for damn sure."

"What a completely foolish thing to say." Weiss swallowed back her annoyance. “I understand that combat is your forte. Just be careful, Yang, and don’t forget to ask for help.”

“Yeah, I will.” Yang said sincerely. “Anyway I’m going to go crash out. It’s been a long day.”

“Sleep well.” Weiss said to Yang’s retreating form. The blonde murmuring something back as she closed the door behind her. The white haired woman clicked the lock into place before she began to undress. She desperately needed to wash away the mental fatigue and go to sleep soon as well. “She'll be alright. It was probably just a rough day…”

Weiss felt like she had to believe that, for her own sake.

* * *

 

Weiss didn’t just end her normal day last, she started her morning early. An entire two hours earlier than the rest of her team, in fact.

She had already survived her first lecture of the day as she sat down to take breakfast with her teammates. Her morning meals were always light. Today she had an orange, oatmeal topped ever so lightly with cinnamon, and imported atlesian coffee. She set her metal try down onto the table before going back to retrieve some napkins and a single packet of sugar. Sitting down, she properly regarded her teammates for the first time.

Ruby and Blake looked to have just woke up. The Faunus sported damp hair, as though she had just showered not long before. Ruby was barely propped up on the table. Weiss rolled her eyes fondly. The sight never ceased to amaze her. Blake took pity on Ruby, lovingly supplying the sleepy leader with hot chocolate.

“Let me guess, you practically carried her here.” Weiss accused knowingly. It wasn’t a difficult thing to guess. Ruby hardly moved when Weiss sat down.

“Guilty as charged.” Blake said around her own warm drink. Although, her cup was filled with tea. “Honestly, with all of the work she did last night, I’m not surprised.”

“I hope you woke Yang, too.” Weiss said. She opened her timetable, sure enough, the blonde’s first class was supposed to be soon. “She’s not still sleeping, is she?”

“She wasn’t there.” Ruby said, perking up enough to give Weiss a confused look. “I thought she was with you.”

“We both did." Blake admitted.

"I haven’t seen her all morning.” Weiss said with a shake of her head. “Mind you, I’m the only one of us that’s taking Port’s ‘Village Trade, and Commerce’ class. I wouldn’t have crossed paths with her. My morning classes are in entirely different sections of the building.”

“Mine too.” Blake said, sliding the hot chocolate under Ruby’s nose once more to keep her from falling asleep again. “Drink it, Ruby, it’s triple chocolate.”

The leader took a sip before yawning and taking another. “It's not like I see Yang before team classes. I have to sit in on a bunch of debriefings for a solid five hours.” Ruby deflated just thinking about it. “I don’t even know why I have to sit through them, it’s not like I’ve learned anything.”

“Someone has to do it.” Weiss merely sighed, her voice carrying sympathy and annoyance in equal measure. “You’re the one that said you wanted to help people.”

“I do, and that hasn’t changed.” Ruby said, as she rubbed at her tied eyes. “I just don’t see why all of the team leaders have to sit and listen to every hunter that comes through the headmaster’s office.”

“Not every hunter, Ruby…” Weiss interjected knowingly. “Only the ones issuing basic Grimm complaints and small village disputes. You don’t sit in on anything that might be considered confidential.”

“Most of them are just plain dumb.” Ruby shot back, somewhat grumpy from her sleepy state. “I know they’re trying to teach us how to deal with real world problems. I just wish it was more interesting. Sometimes the complaints seem to just mix up in my head like a big sloppy mess.”

“That’s probably the point.” Blake told her. “It’s the same in the White Fang."

"How?" Ruby clipped, her mouth hiding behind her mug once more.

Blake smiled softly, as her hand slid under the table. It was probably resting on Ruby's knee, if the way the leader settled down was any indication. "It's a matter of soothing the public." Blake said mildly. "Faunus will bring my father all sorts of grievances. Like you say, sometimes it does become a mess. However, my dad told me something once. He said that if I lose my sense of empathy, then I’m in no position to help anyone.”

“Uh, I hate it.” Ruby muttered. “Can’t I just go back to listening to Professor Port babble about his adventures some more?”

“Afraid not.” Weiss said.

“Crap.” Ruby muttered.

“At least we have our dust theory class later. We'll round out the evening with team sparring with Professor Goodwitch at the end of the day.” Weiss said, as both Ruby and Blake balked at the idea.

“Double crap.” The red caped leader remarked as she planted her head onto the table.

“Don’t worry, Ruby. I’m stuck with Oobleck for civil studies, and Weiss will be bogged down with more homework from Peach than she’ll know what to do with.” Blake said, her hand gently patting Ruby’s back consolingly. “Yang has Peach’s field medicine class too, right?”

“Actually, Yang dropped the class.” Weiss said as she tore open her sugar packet and upended it into her oatmeal. “Now, she’s taking advanced combat studies with Professor Goodwitch.”

“She’s insane.” Blake deadpanned. “Absolutely insane…”

“It can’t be that bad.” Ruby laughed tiredly. Her hand reached for one of the small squares of coffee cake that was on Blake’s plate. The Faunus batting it away gently.

“Coco broke her glasses in that class.” Blake explained as she slid a different plate in front of Ruby. This one containing a healthier breakfast of ham and eggs. “They’ve been graduated for an entire year, and there’s still shards of her glasses embedded in the wall.”

Weiss dropped the spoon she was holding. Milk and oats sloshing onto her tray. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Blake grumbled, batting at Ruby's hand again. She once again offered the healthier alternative, and slid the cake well out of Ruby's reach.

“Coco Adel does _not_ just break her glasses, Blake.” Weiss said as she grabbed a napkin to blot away the spilled milk her spoon had left behind. "What actually happened?"

“Coco impacted one of the arena walls face first. She completely busted her aura.” Blake said, one fist slowly slapping into her palm for visual effect before she shrugged. “It wasn’t just in the red by the time Professor Goodwitch was done with her. It was completely gone. Shattered completely. She’s lucky she didn’t break any bones.”

“That’s…” Weiss didn’t even have words.

“Advanced combat..." Ruby rolled that around in her head as she unhappily poked at a piece of ham. "I think that's for a special operations license, right?"

"It is." Weiss replied.

"Uncle Qrow has that license..." Ruby said darkly.

"As does my sister." Weiss replied. "It's a common specialization on Atlas for those enlisting in the military.

"Isn’t that the class where you train with weapons that aren’t your own, and fight until first blood?” Ruby asked, cringing. It was one of the reasons she had chosen not to take it. She loved looking at other weapons, but she could never imagine doing battle with anything other than her own.

“Other professors and certified huntsmen step into the ring too. Sometimes, even Ozpin.” Blake said with a nod. “It’s only a fourth year class, but for Velvet they made accommodations. She took the class all four years because of the way she fights. Her semblance and weapon was well suited to the course. Every year, she would tell me not to take the class. She said that was too brutal. Coco was sure that she could handle it. She completely underestimated what a round with a real professor was really like. Apparently Goodwitch really doesn’t hold back.”

The implication hung heavily in the air, and suddenly, Weiss wasn’t hungry anymore.

* * *

 

Blake was worried about Yang.

In their first year together, they’d been inseparable. As partners they were unquestionably close. Time had soured that bond slightly. Blake couldn’t deny the strange divide she felt between them. Ever since she began dating Ruby, Yang had begun to act differently. It wasn’t bad, in fact, Blake had assumed everything had been changing for the better. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

“Now you’re just being paranoid, Blakey.” Yang said as she sent several jabs at a punching bag. “Nothing’s up with me. I just got to focus on my training.”

“I’d believe that, if only you’d take that stupid plastered on grin off of your face.” Blake said dryly. “You look like one of those idiotic paint by numbers clowns…without the paint.”

“Gee, thanks for the compliment.” Yang said with a huff as she sent another barrage of jabs towards the bag. “If I was in a pissy mood, I think you’d know. My hair glows. I mean, it is kind of hard to miss.”

“I never asked if you were pissed. I asked if you were alright. When I did, you brushed off the question.” Golden eyes studied Yang as the girl continued to practice. “Is it me? Did I do something wrong?”

Yang stopped her punches, dropped her guard, and sighed. “Why would I be mad at you, huh?”

“Ruby, I suppose…why else?” Blake shrugged, not entirely sure why Yang was acting so strangely. She intended to get to the bottom of it. “I can’t think of anything else that would get under your skin this way. Again, I reiterate, I didn’t ask if you were mad. I asked you if something was wrong…”

“Should I be mad?” Yang asked then, getting back into a fighting position. She began pummeling the bag once more. “Did you do something that I should get pissed about?”

“Yang, damn it, stop deflecting.” Blake hollered, sending a fist directly into Yang’s extended shoulder. The blonde reeled from the impact, whirling on Blake as she pulled off her gloves, ready for a real boxing match. The Faunus wasn’t at all in the mood. “You may be my partner, Yang, but I can and will beat the crap out of you.”

“There’s the feisty kitty-in-law.” Yang smirked again. “You know I love it when we play rough.”

“Cut the bullshit.” Blake sighed with a shake of her head. “Weiss is mildly concerned, Ruby’s not sure what got into you, and _I am worried_. I need you to talk to me and tell me what’s wrong.”

“I can’t do that, not yet.” Yang said.

“Why not?”

“Cause I can’t.” Yang told her. “Don’t make a liar out of me.”

“So something is wrong, then…” The Faunus sighed. “What is it? Did you get put on academic probation? Are you sick?”

“Leave it alone, Blake.” Yang told her.

“Yang, I can’t.”

“Yeah, you can, and you will.” Yang said, her fists back on the bag. “It’s my personal stuff, not yours. Back off, Blake. I mean it.”

Blake frowned, her ears drooping as she sighed. “Don’t you trust me at all?”

Yang cleared her throat and sighed. Her fists dropping once more. She tried to run a hand through her hair, but it got caught in a group of tangles. When the Faunus looked so sad, it was hard not to feel guilty. Yang was quiet for a short while, unsure of what to say. Finally, her uneasy voice found the air. “Blake, look, it’s not about trust."

"What is it about then?"

That was a whole lot harder to answer. There were a list of confessions Yang could have come up with, but none of them felt entirely right. _She_ didn't feel entirely right. It felt like her whole life, the center of her world, had been tilted askew. "This is about me, about _who I am_ …”

“And you can’t talk about that?” Bake asked.

“I could, but that won’t help.” Yang said softly. “I have this really big choice to make right now. It's the most important thing that's ever really come up, and it’s gotta be mine.”

The Faunus took a step forward. “I could help you sort things out.” She tried, grasping at straws and knowing they would fail. “We all could, if you’d only just let us.”

“Nah, you can’t. I appreciate the fact you want to help, but this doesn’t work that way.” Yang said with a shake of her head. If anything, it was brutally honest. Perhaps too much so. “You can’t help me with what’s going on. This time, it’s on me. So, until I’m sure I know what I’m going to do, I need you to back off. Okay?”

The Faunus wasn’t happy, but the admission was something. She had to accept it. “Okay…”

* * *

 

Weiss knocked her knuckles on the thick tome in front of her with frustration. It brought a whole new meaning to hitting the books. In her other hand, Ruby’s incomplete research paper made every conceivable mistake possible. As much as she wanted to lecture her leader, it would do no good. Weiss knew that her own paper would be graded with lackluster results as well.

“So, what do you think?” Ruby asked nervously, twiddling her fingers.

“Well, it’s genius in its concept, but also unquestionably suicidal.”

“It’s that bad?” Ruby asked weakly. “I spent hours on this essay doing research, just like you told me to. I thought it was ironclad.”

“No matter how good it sounds on paper, you just can’t use that kind of dust mixture on a Faunus in cardiac arrest.” Weiss said with a sigh as she handed Ruby back the essay. “Even if you could, it would be too risky.”

“Why not?” The girl asked looking down at her notes. “It doesn’t say anything in the textbook about yellow dust itself being harmful.”

“Because depending on the Faunus, you could make their heart beat too fast and end up killing them.” Blake supplied, pointing to Ruby’s paper. “Rodent Faunus are especially susceptible to heart problems.”

“Not to mention the closed circuit you’d end up making. The feedback would be dangerous too.” Weiss went on to explain. “Ruby, you can’t discharge dust with the intent for it to cause electricity like that. You would need to somehow control the voltage and protect yourself. If you use dust as described in your essay, the electricity would eventually end up channeling into you.”

“Nora helped me come up with explaining it. Maybe we just did it wrong.”

Blake shook her head. “No, Ruby, it’s her semblance that makes the method possible. It would only work for her, and others like her. That's why it's a very plausible theory, but only for Nora.”

“She can absorb electricity…” Ruby muttered after it dawned on her. She quickly erased three paragraphs of hard work. “Well, now what do I do? This paper is due tomorrow and I’m not even half way done with it.”

Weiss and Blake shared a look. Neither one of them knew fully what to do. Finally, Weiss bit the bullet and sighed.

“This is a team class, so bank on that." She told Ruby, though her voice was less than encouraging. "Turn your essay in for partial credit and hope the rest of our grades average out. Dust theory has never been your strong suit. There’s a reason I’ve applied to be our field medic and why you’re still the team’s leader.”

“She’s right.” Blake said, knowing there wasn’t any point to shelter Ruby from the harsh reality. “We have too much to focus on this year, we can’t get hung up on one poor grade anymore.”

“But Blake, I have to know this stuff.” Ruby told her. “What if you got hurt, and I was the only one there to help you?”

“You’d keep calm and remember the steps. First, check my aura. If I have any at all, my heart is obviously faintly beating. Second, if you’re in range of any towers, send out a distress signal on your scroll. If I have no aura, and I’m not breathing, start CPR and go from there.” Blake said, pulling the paper away from Ruby and setting it off to the side. “If you could get my heart beating again, you’d shove a dissolvable aura tablet under my tongue immediately. At that point, you’d keep my aura level above zero until either my heart stabilized, or help arrived.”

“Morbid topic aside, we really shouldn’t linger over dust theory. Blake and I will pick up the team’s grade from being a total failure. We always do. What we really need to worry about is Grimm studies. Professor Port isn’t holding back.” Weiss trailed off as she closed the book in front of her, setting it off to the side. “Where’s Yang? I was waiting for her before we started on our reading.”

“She’s skipping out.” Blake said. “She said something about having a bubble bath and reading it there.”

Ruby muttered something under her breath, her tone obviously aggravated. Finally she just slumped down onto the table. “I’m not surprised. She had a big bruise under her right eye when I passed her by in the dorms. It looked like it hurt. She had an ice pack held to it and everything.”

“What caused that, I wonder?” Weiss murmured.

“She got kicked in the face in combat studies.” Blake blurted without hesitation. “Goodwitch sent her to the infirmary. I guess one of the guys there is a hell of a kickboxer.”

“So long as she’s okay…” Weiss said slowly, skepticism building. "You did verify that, correct?"

"As much as she'd let me.” Ruby promised. “Yang’s gotten hurt way worse than that and bounced back before. She wouldn’t lie to me about something like that.”

“I knew it was a stupid idea for her to sign up for that class.” Blake bit out. “She knew what happened to Coco. There was no way she didn’t know what she was in for…god, what’s she thinking?”

“Probably the same thing we are.” Ruby said. “That this is our last year in Beacon. We’ve got to make the most of it. She’s probably using the combat class to beef up her final grade. If we graduate will full honors, we’ll be just like dad. I know that’d make him proud.”

Weiss felt a wave of concern flow through her. The conversation from the night before trickled into her head. Yang was pushing herself, and she seemed to be doing it too hard. “She’s been skipping our study sessions more and more.” Weiss said with a sigh. “I hope she’s not biting off more than she can chew.”

“If it makes you feel any better, Yang did this back in Signal too.” Ruby admitted, her silver eyes falling to study the wood grain on the table. Her finger traced the swirls in the wood. “She took all of the hardest combat classes, and she got beat up a lot.” She glanced up at Weiss, seeing her unease. She had no idea how to comfort her. “We weren’t in the same grade then. All I really know are the rumors."

"Patterns like that shouldn't be repeated." Blake growled under her breath.

"I know that, and deep down, I'm sure she knows it too." Ruby said. "Maybe she is in over her head this time, but if she is, I want her to come to me.”

“I’m afraid she won’t.” Blake said. “You know how stubborn she is.”

Ruby knew better than anyone else, but all she could do was offer a soft little smirk.

“When we were little, we were always coddled. We were the little girls in a world way too big for us. Even as we got older, dad treated us like we were babies. When we came to Beacon, to him, we were just kids. Not soon-to-be huntresses. For the longest time, Yang treated me like a child too. That was just the way our family was.” She looked over to the Faunus, her hand falling over the Blake’s. “But then, you and I told Yang about us. I know that really hit her hard.”

“Well, at least she didn’t freak out or anything.” Blake said. “I was expecting an explosion at the time...but I asked her if I was the problem. She told me that I wasn't.”

Frankly, I'm surprised you aren't.” Weiss muttered dryly. "No offense, but she's always been protective of Ruby."

Ruby just laughed, but the humor had long since faded. “Before I came to Beacon, Yang used to keep an eye on every little thing I did. This summer, she didn’t even go on any family trips. That’s not like her at all. Uncle Qrow said that she’s pulling away from me…that it was a good thing. He said, she doesn’t need to protect me anymore.” She shrugged. “He’s right. So, I’m going to respect her space too. We’re sisters, but we don’t have to be attached at the hip anymore.”

“Personally, I think it goes deeper than that.” Weiss said.

“Maybe it does, but I’m right here.” Ruby said. “I’m in the same place I’ve always been. If Yang needs me, all she has to do is ask. I’ll always help her if she asks, no matter what.”

“And with that our fearless leader has spoken.” Weiss grumbled. “Although, let the record show, I don’t agree. I think we should press the situation, and find out what’s really going on.”

“Noted, and if you want to do that, I won’t stop you...” Ruby said. “I’m not going to do that, though. I want her to see me as an equal. So, I’m going to wait for her to come to me. I want her to make that choice for herself.”

“We should stop wasting time sitting here then. Let's get started on reading.” Even with her concern, Weiss reached out and grabbed the thick tome with an assortment of Grimm across the front. Then she grabbed a few note cards and clicked her pen. “Well, we have three chapters to plow through before the pop quiz tomorrow. Someone begin, I’ll take the notes.”

“Right.” Blake said as she push her open textbook between herself and Ruby. “I’ll start. Top of page thirty, chapter four…”


	9. Looming Truths

Blake would be lying if she said she wasn’t agitated by Yang’s antics.

She would also be lying if she said that she didn’t understand the need for personal space.

For a team of women such as themselves, privacy was a rare thing. They’d been smooshed together like a can of sardines for three long years. Learning when to willfully ignore her teammates came with the territory. After all, they couldn’t always be nosing around in each other’s personal lives. That only offered a recipe for complete disaster. In truth, there’d been countless fights over the years because of someone crossing a line or two by accident.

It was a slippery slope, and Blake had to be very weary of her fragile place within the team.

Ruby and Yang were sisters, kinfolk, family. Purely by that extension, they shared a history. There were little truths that Blake knew, ones that Yang didn’t want anyone knowing. Yet, purely by virtue of dating Ruby, Blake _did_ know those tiny things. For anyone else, Yang’s standoffish attitude might have meant nothing, but the Faunus wasn’t so sure. The sisters were both sentimental creatures in their own way. They were damaged beyond repair in others.

Ruby might be the one that acted socially awkward, but she was not the only sibling to lack social skills. On some level, Yang was worse, and she had every right to be.

The blonde had been betrayed one too many times. She had been hurt in ways that were incomprehensible to the Faunus. The evidence was clear as day, laid in front of her by a series of little white lies and thousands of lonely smiles. Simple little phrases carried a weight that had to be burdensome. Even Ruby’s desire to be a huntress came with a simple, yet gory truth. It was, after all, a violent ambition. They were selfsame as siblings in that regard. Both of them were angry at the things that had been ripped away from them.

The difference was that Ruby’s anger only pinpointed one target; the Grimm.

Yang’s anger had no real target.

Instead, her rage bubbled from the ghosts of her past. It continued to boil because of the losses she couldn’t salvage from the wreckage known as time.

That’s also why Blake knew the truth about Yang’s sexual inclinations. Yang wasn’t promiscuous simply for the sake of it. She did it because keeping people at arm’s length hurt less. That way, they wouldn’t have a chance to hurt her. She would never truly risk being hurt again. She could be held, but that was fleeting. She could find release, but not stability. She could be liked, but not loved. Coveted, but never kept.

She could be the happy-go-lucky brawler, with that faintly waning smile.

Blake wanted to slap that stupid shit-eating grin right off of Yang’s face. She wanted the blonde to see what she truly had, the people she had, waiting for her. Yet, Blake couldn’t do that, either. Her mind couldn’t grapple with those small little facts, even as she concluded that they were the cause of this massive problem. She couldn’t dignify Yang’s behavior, even if she understood it. She couldn’t placate Weiss, even though she desperately wanted to. She couldn’t look at Ruby without seeing the shards of a broken family, and she couldn’t stand any of it.

An agitated snarl worked it's way up from her throat.

“Blakey, you’re doing it again.” Ruby said knowingly, though she didn’t look up from her videogame.

The Faunus only grunted, one ear folding back in dismay as she reached to scratch an itch. Then she flopped onto her side, a low utterance falling from her lips.

Silver eyes caught the flash of white as the Faunus laid on her side. Her back on display as she curled around herself to face the wall. Ruby waited a moment before talking casually as ever. “If you mumble like that, I can’t hear you.”

“I said, your sister is a pain in my ass.” Blake said loud enough for Ruby her hear.

“Ah…”

“There is a bigger problem going on, I just don’t know what that is. She won’t tell me.”

Ruby set down her scroll, her playable character meeting its demise. Instead she edged over across the small seam that separated the two mattresses. She also flopped down then, laying hallway across her annoyed girlfriend. “It’s not like I’m completely clueless.” Ruby said then, as she regraded Blake’s agitation with a gentle expression. “Yang tries to hide it, but she’s always been pretty easy to read.”

“That idiot…” Blake mumbled then.

Ruby chuckled under her breath as she reached over to push a strand of curly black hair behind Blake’s human ear. “I know that’s not what’s bugging you, though.”

“What if she’s not okay with us?” Blake asked. “What if she’s just pretending that she is, just for our sake?”

“Hmm. I don’t know.” Ruby shrugged then. “I guess I never thought of it that way.”

“Yang bites her tongue a lot more than we give her credit for.” Blake said then, regarding Ruby with a quiet sense of thoughtfulness. It lingered in the soft vibrato of her voice. “She puts up those stupid fake smiles, and I keep waiting for the inevitable…and it just doesn’t come. I hope I’m wrong, but, what if I’m not? If that’s the case, it’s just another strike against us.”

Ruby nodded in understanding, as she sat back up. “Your still thinking about your dad, aren’t you?”

“It’s hard not to.” Blake admitted. “He really doesn’t want you and I to be a couple. He hasn’t tried to put a stop to it yet, but I know he’s not happy.”

“So, he’s a little gruff, so what?” Ruby said with a laugh. “My dad will probably be over protective too. Don’t even get me started on me uncle.”

“Aren’t you in the least bit intimidated?” Golden eyes flicked over to Ruby. The young woman just sat there, thinking. Whatever was rolling around in her head didn’t seem to bother her. Instead, she only shrugged, grabbing her scroll once more.

“Right now? Nope.” Ruby said, laying back down as she restarted her game once more. “I mean, he's your dad, Blakey. It’s not like he’s a Grimm.” Rolling onto her side, she waited for the Faunus to embrace her before pressing she start screen. “Besides, we’re still students, so we don’t have to worry about anything yet. So for right now, I just want to enjoy what we have.”

Faunus ears flicked backwards for a moment before returning to their natural state. The handful of rebuttals seemed so small compared to Ruby’s words. Blake swallowed them down, and closed her eyes. The soft scent of roses permeated her senses, quelling any lingering doubts. She buried her nose in that scent, letting it suffuse her entire being.

Ruby was right, sometimes it was just better to enjoy the moment.

* * *

 

The dull roar of chattering teams did nothing but annoy Weiss on the weekends.

During the actual school week, people tended to be quieter, more subdued. Those without weekend classes simply enjoyed their day for what it was. Meanwhile, club activities took place unabashedly on Saturday for those foolish enough to join one. Particularly studious fourth year students found themselves cobbled together in small class sizes. Usually they looked to be half-asleep, but even the multiple professors looked a little more unkempt than they usually were.

Saturday was just that sort of day.

Bartholomew Oobleck was holding up the coffee line again, his shirt and tie even more rumpled than normal. His hair hadn't been tended to in the slightest. He meticulously tried each and every coffee on the counter before making his selection. Just as he began to make a choice, he placed coffee pot down and tasted each and every one of them again.

Weiss cast her gaze around the room. She almost instantly spotted three fourths of Jaune’s team sitting at a far table. The blonde boy tried to curtail Nora guzzling the maple syrup, failing spectacularly. Across from them, Blake seemed be trying to hamper Ruby’s ingestion of cookies, looking even less successful. Then Ren finally saved the day, sliding two plates of pancake’s in front of the troublesome duo.

There was a distinct lack of messy blonde hair and uproarious laughter at the table. Yang wasn’t there.

Weiss had begun to notice a pattern in Yang’s scarcity. For as insufferably loud as she could be, seemed unusually quiet even with Nora’s encouragement. The blonde was either absent or distracted, plain and simple. She had been avoiding mealtimes and wandering off alone. Ruby and Blake assumed that Yang was just caught up in classes, which seemed like a rational assumption.

Yang’s workload was no less difficult than their own.

Finally, it was her turn to step up to the coffee bar. Weiss poured her coffee distractedly before walking into one of the small meeting rooms connected to the eatery. There, a handful of other female students sat gathered around a circular table. Professor Goodwitch also sat at the table, her hair down from its usual bun and glasses set off to the side. She stifled a yawn as she drank from her own cup of coffee. A thin booklet sat in front of her, though the blonde haired teacher seemed uninterested in it.

“Miss Schnee, so good of you to finally join us.” Glynda quipped dryly.

“Doctor Oobleck was in front of me in the coffee line.” Weiss deadpanned in equal measure. Her usual zest for education dwindling in the early morning.

“Better you, than me.” Glynda scoffed inelegantly, having suffered similar fates countless times in the past. His obsession with the student coffee bar was legendary, matched only by the one found hidden away in Ozpin’s office. “Take your seat so that we may begin.”

Weiss chose the chair nearest to Pyrrha. The champion was much more pleasant, even if the sun had yet to rise. Pyrrha only offered a waning smile as Weiss gulped down her coffee as though it were her only connection to life. Perhaps it was, if the bags under her eyes were any indication. Across the table, Glynda seemed to do the same. Finally Glynda set down her mug and cleared her throat.

“Well, now that we’re all here, welcome to the continuation of huntress studies.” Glynda looked down at the thin book, flipping some of the pages “Does anyone remember where we left off?”

“We were discussing feminism as it applies to huntresses.” Cinder Fall, the newest addition to the class replied airily. “It turned into something of a debate.”

“Indeed, if you can call the drivel that poured out of your mouth, debatable” Weiss muttered, glaring daggers as the last heated debate came to mind. “Truthfully, I find it comical that you have an opinion on the matter.”

“Don’t you?” Cinder said with an elegantly upraised brow.

“Your misogynist of a teammate leads me to think otherwise.” Weiss said primly, her ire particularly chilly in the early hour. “You allow him to run his mouth off at every turn.”

Cinder just smiled softly, but there was a bite in her tone. “If you’re referring to Mercury, he’s completely harmless.”

“Either that, or you’re _completely incompetent_ as his team leader.” Weiss said, matching every inch of Cinder’s tone with her own frosty tone. “I’m inclined to believe it’s the latter.”

“That’s enough of that.” Glynda cut in, feeling her own ire spark as her class got off to a rough start. She groaned inwardly, rubbing her eyes. Weiss Schnee was every bit as opinionated as her elder sister, and twice as likely to voice those opinions. It never seemed to bode well. “Yes, we were discussing that topic rather heatedly, now weren’t we? Several personal disputes came to light, which I remind you, are _strictly_ that. They have no need to be brought up in this space. If you truly take issue with each other, you may address that in the arena.”

“Formal arrangements could be made.” Cinder offered her eyes glimmering in delight.

“Gladly.” Weiss remarked coolly.

“Perhaps another time.” Glynda hedged, folding her hands gently onto the table. “Now, unless there is something meaningful to be had within this dispute, I’d suggest you put the matter aside.”

“No, actually professor, I think the intent bears consideration.” Pyrrha replied.

The professor inclined one eyebrow, tilting her head slightly in fascination. At least the redhead was mild mannered. “Elaborate, Miss Nikos.”

“Well, the topic at hand isn’t uncommon. In my own life, I’ve heard the accusation made often enough.” Pyrrha replied, her mind entirely on the class. “Some think that a women have problems controlling male teammates. At least, that is the implication. If we were to explore that notion, we might find meaningful debate in that. After all, team leaders like Cinder tend to be within the minority.”

The girls around the table murmured amongst themselves until one of them spoke up. “Uh, have you seen Beacon?” One of the other girls in class chimed in, obnoxiously fiddling with her nails. “Chicks and dudes are pretty equal.”

Pyrrha only nodded. “I realize it seems that way. One might argue that female huntresses are rarely placed in positions of power, including minor ones. Beacon is one of the few schools that actively place women in roles of leadership just as equally as men. The same standards do not hold true for our sister academies. Furthermore the same cannot be said for teams formed outside of Beacon. Vale still largely seeks men for leadership.”

“Intriguing notion, in its own way.” The professor replied as she paused to take another sip of her drink. “While I don’t inherently disagree, what evidence do you have to support your claim?”

“The numbers don’t lie, Professor.” Pyrrha said simply. “Atlas has the worst statistics of all. Only one fifth of teams are assigned a female leader. Of those, over eighty percent of them seemed to be from teams comprised entirely of women.”

“And would anyone be willing to make a rebuttal?” Glynda replied.

“I would.” Weiss supplied, blue eyes willingly seeking the intellectual challenge. “Atlas doesn’t have the same number of female students enrolling, comparatively speaking. Men are more commonly encouraged to join the combat schools. The numbers Pyrrha stated reflect that. Being a huntress is atypical of the traditional atlesian woman. Atlas is, as we previously discussed, a kingdom that relies strongly on patriarchy. I won’t argue its sexist leanings. What I will argue, is that the women of Atlas who have risen to the occasion do receive an equal opportunity. It's merely that less of them choose to do so.”

Glynda seemed to consider the topic before looking up at the clock. “Alright then, that seems like a good place to start as any. Miss Nikos, you may begin to defend your claim...”

* * *

 

“Are you alright?” Pyrrha asked after the class had been dismissed.

She had hoped allowing Weiss a proper debate would calm her down. Yet, that was not the case. Weiss was still angry, her annoyance edging into all of her words.

“I’m fine.” Weiss said in a tone that demanded that the topic be dropped.

A lesser person might not have been able to navigate the chilly temperament. Those among certain circles would have thought it insane to try. Pyrrha wasn’t so easily intimidated. She knew the affluent world that Weiss had been raised into. She understood the impossibly high demands of pomp and circumstance that had built Weiss from the ground up. She too, had been put on a pedestal and paraded around with little consideration towards her feelings on the matter.

“If you want me to believe that, you really should stop scowling so much.” Pyrrha said with a small laugh. “If you're still angry about Cinder, I don’t even know why she bothers you.”

“I don't have an issue with Cinder on a personal level. I don't even know her. It's her team I take issue with. She's a poor leader, and that’s just the way I see it.” Weiss replied hotly. “She should have better control of her teammate.”

“Yes, because our team leaders have exemplary control over what you and I do.” Pyrrha laughed, causing Weiss to turn on a dime.

“Don’t misunderstand my point.” Weiss said, looking up into that beatific face that everyone told her she should love. The reserved humor dancing in Pyrrha’s eyes couldn’t hold a candle to Yang’s smile. “I have said things that have been challenged. I have done things that Ruby would not let slide. The racially inaccurate sentiments I used to harbor were only put into question because my team leader forced me to question them.”

“It helps that you are a genuinely good person, Weiss.” Pyrrha remarked. “Don’t cut yourself short, either.”

“Regardless, I had enough respect for Ruby to consider her words. At the time, I couldn’t offer Blake that same respect.” Weiss said honestly. “The same could be said for Jaune when it comes to your team, Pyrrha. You have every reason to think him inadequate, and yet, you don’t. The reason why doesn’t matter, only the result. The mark of a leader isn’t quantified by their ability in battle. It’s the ability to earn and maintain respect.”

“While I agree with you, I don’t seem to understand how that involves Cinder.”

“There comes a point where we must capitulate with our leaders, even if we may not agree with them.” Weiss said, perhaps the current circumstances with Yang colored her words. It certainly made them ring true, as she followed Ruby’s guidance not to push Yang too far. Weiss still felt a deep desire to press the matter. “If Ruby didn’t have my respect that would be impossible. It will always be that simple. If our team leaders say jump, we ask how high. That’s the way it should be.”

“And extrapolating from that, you feel as if Cinder hasn’t earned her team’s respect?” Pyrrha asked.

“I think Cinder doesn’t know her own place, or she simply doesn’t care. She has a very self-absorbed moral compass. It shows by how ‘harmless’ she thinks her teammate really is.” Weiss said as she shook her head, trying to clear the fog. “Compare her actions to our own team leaders.”

“I don’t know her well enough to do so.” Pyrrha admitted.

Weiss only huffed, aggravated. “Then compare and contrast. It doesn’t matter how lacking I think Jaune is, he would never put up with a teammate like Mercury. He has never tolerated unmitigated racism and bigotry. He most certainly wouldn’t ever belittle you purely based on your gender. Neither would Ruby. If I acted like Mercury does, she would certainly have something to say to me. I know that from firsthand experience.”

As Pyrrha was about to say something, a camera’s flash went off in her face. A reporter looking at them both expectantly from the safety of the window. Green eyes blinked rapidly before turning into a disapproving glair as the man scurried off. The two women shared a look to his retreating form.

Weiss glanced over to the champion who walked just a little too close to her side, and put more space between them. Pyrrha’s warmth was different from Yang’s. It was no less gentle, of course, and no less genuine. Yet what made Yang so alluring was not her warm aura, but the bombastic way in which she used it. Choosing to live life with very little regard for what might seem prim and proper. Pyrrha was schooled and measured, where others were not.

The rumors around the school had done some rather questionable things to the social identity of the disowned heiress.

Weiss flicked her gaze over to Pyrrha once more. Of course people who didn’t know them at all would think they were dating. They both carried an image of refinery that looked pleasant to the eyes. They were both surrounded by people who were less than photogenic to the mass media, and had no idea how to behave themselves in front of public scrutiny.

Pyrrha Nikos was different.

She had everything. Good looks, great pedigree, accomplishments from a young age, and even a demure personality. She was, in the eyes of many, a perfect woman. If that woman was to be with anyone at all, one look at their friends made it seem obvious. Those who made the Schnee’s unreachable had done the same to Pyrrha Nikos. Thus, Weiss could be the only option the tabloids had to latch into.

The media were going to have a field day with that picture, even if it was only of two friends standing side by side. As usual, they ignored the minor annoyance. The people who knew them, knew the truth.

“You aren’t truly going to fight Cinder in the arena, are you?” Pyrrha asked worriedly. “It wouldn’t solve anything.”

“That entirely depends.” Weiss replied.

“On?” Pyrrha murmured, almost afraid of the answer.

“Just how far she crosses the line.” Weiss said. “If she won’t handle her teammate, she’s part of the problem. I don’t have to stand for that.”

* * *

 

Even on a Saturday, they couldn’t just lay around.

After her morning classes, Weiss had managed to goad her entire team into studying. The white haired woman had to acknowledge the thick stacks of books that sounded them. It might have been a bit too much. Even so, Weiss had made sure that Yang couldn’t escape the study session. Although, by the looks of it, she desperately wanted to. Yang seemed exhausted. Obviously, she was pushing herself in ways that tested her body to the limit. In fairness, though, Weiss knew she was doing the same.

After the study session ended, Weiss headed for the gym. She needed workout of her own.

Donning a standard issue swimsuit that had been provided by Beacon academy, Weiss had dove into the water with a swimmers grace. She swam aimlessly at first. Acclimating to the cool temperature of chlorinated water. She would dive into one end of the pool and swim across. Then she would, climb out, and dive back in and swim to the other. She did many laps this way, examining the ripples in the water.

Every time she dove in, her impossibly long hair trailed like silk behind her. She knew there’d be tangles to smooth out in the aftermath. Usually, that would have been a deterrent for entering the water. Today, it wasn’t even on her mind. Instead, she swam just like she would have in her private pool at home. She wanted to think back to simpler days, when her training had been reduced to child’s play. She used to splash around, making waves and ruining her graceful form.

Winter used to scold her back then for being foolish and wasting time. In some ways, she wished Winter would scold her now for the same thing.

After all, wasn’t that what love was? A whimsical emotion? A childish thing? A total waste of time?

Weiss had never known romantic love. She had never experienced true carnal desire. She had read many dissertations on both topics, but they were only that. Written texts for which she had no practical or applied knowledge. At first, she had been alright with that. Now, it wasn’t nearly enough. It was maddening just how little Weiss knew on the topic. She wished to know so much more.

Worse yet, was that she would never trade her dignity for those all-too-important revelations.

Even if she might be able to have them with Yang. Even if the fog would clear, and smash away the delusions of what love actually was. Even with the promises of finally meeting reality, Weiss couldn’t bring herself to tell Yang about her feelings.

That’s why it hurt so much.

Frankly, the blonde woman that had done the impossible. Weiss had never thought for a second that Yang would capture her heart. That Yang hadn’t even noticed, hurt too. It boiled her blood to know that Yang was so blind to it, and also sleeping around. A bubbling sense of jealousy made her heart clench painfully. She’d never before known the names of the people Yang hooked up with. She had never had to face that person in a crowd. Now, she couldn’t escape it, even if she wanted to.

Every day Weiss saw the grey hired huntsman-in-training.

Each and every time, she felt a stab in her chest.

Just looking at him made her feel sick. She could remember his words in the library. According to him, _Yang_ had asked for more. According to him, he had turned _her_ down. According to him, _she_ had been meaningless. According to him, he’d thrown away the one thing Weiss so desperately craved, and he didn’t even seem to care.

Weiss grit her teeth as she swam faster, chest burning as she gasped for air.

Her arms and legs propelled her unrelentingly as she pushed forward. Her heart and mind trying to escape the doubts growing within. In her memory, she could see how he slouched back in his chair. A smug expression coloring his tone as he talked about Yang. Obviously, she had meant nothing to him.

All Weiss could recall was fury. She’d wanted to do more than tell him off. She had wanted to hurt him. Harm him more than what any sane, stable-minded person, would want to do.

At least, that’s what Weiss had told herself.

So, she left the situation. She stormed off, slamming the door behind her. The door had since been replaced. She had gotten off the hook with a reprimand. Now, there was only bitterness in the wake of the memory. She hated that library table. She hated the chair upon which he sat. She hated his filthy words, and his disgusting laugh. She hated him.

She absolutely, loathed Mercury Black.

Most of all, she despised the sickening question that had settled in her head.

Had Yang actually loved him?


	10. Woman in the Mirror, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Yang to finally open up a little. This time, she's in over her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we get nearer to the holiday season my writing speed tends to slow down quite a bit, hence why this wasn't posted earlier in the week. Updates will be slower from now, until the new year. Frankly, I'm just not home enough to type for long stretches of time. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Weiss toweled herself off, spending a great deal of time patting her hair dry and combing out the knots. The brisk afternoon swim had done nothing to help center her mind. Neither had the shower afterward. If anything, she was more conflicted than she had been before diving into the pool to begin with. She could hear some of the other girls laughing from between shower stalls. The gossip echoed off of the walls remarkably well.

She never could get used to it. Normally the racket served to be little more than annoying background noise. The showers were one of the few locations that truly mingled the novice students with the savvy ones. It was a place that tore down societal walls in a way no place else could. Handfuls of small conversations lay as proof of the unnoticeable growth these huntresses would inevitably suffer.

Now, Weiss could hear the short years of disparity clearly in a way she never had before.

“Or maybe, it’s just that I never chose to listen before.” Weiss muttered under her breath as her blue eyes lifted to the mirror. Her slender frame wrapped in a towel. Her long white hair cascaded over her shoulder. She tended to the strands with the same slow and meticulous precision as always, but even that seemed an empty effort. The growing number of split ends proof of her rough handling during training bouts.

The nearly juvenile discussions taking place between the young first year students were a reminder of simple days. Maybe it was cynical to envy the childish banter. The discussions were all too cheerful, or at the very least, simple minded. a handful debated about what boy had the best looks. Others chatted about the most eligible person in their year. Some complained about their teachers. A few others nursed the feeling of homesickness. The first years spoke of missions curiously, some of them entirely too overzealous.

Despite the mix of topics, the discussions were lively, if little else.

Contrasting that were the prepared second year students. All of them were old enough to smoke openly around campus. A few were even old enough to drink, and were permitted to carry flasks around the grounds. Most of them were speaking in hushed tones. Increasingly lengthy missions and Grimm capturing were two intimidating topics that inspired caution. The obvious leap in maturity was something Weiss saw clearly now. Gone were the armature assumptions and false bravado.

The returning third years stood as an even greater contrast. Those girls were different still. Some were marked by battle, others had lost entire limbs. Chatter among these girls tended to take on a serious tone. Missions for third years would extend far past the boarders of Vale, and sometimes would be undertaken alone. Without supervision. Happy topics carried an air of sentimentality, and the depressing ones dripped with cynicism. It was the year when the profession became tangible, and riddled with too many sleepless nights out in the woods.

Weiss sighed as she finally finished dealing with her hair. She put away her comb and gathered her supplies. Slipping off into one of the dressing areas, she finally began to clothe herself accordingly. In doing so, she was able to take a quick glance of herself in a full length mirror. Now, she was a fourth year, and she certainly looked the part. She wasn’t just a short, figureless toothpick of a heiress anymore.

She had a figure, though slim, and she still had her dignity to go along with it. Now, she had slender yet defined muscle in her arms. Her long legs had gained a similar strength. Though her core was no where near as defined as Yang's or Ruby's, if she flexed, she could see the hints of tone beneath her skin. Power laying dormant, waiting for further training. It was her stamina that had improved the most, able to last in endurance matches far beyond what she would have ever suspected.

The years at Beacon had molded her well.

It was time to have the conversations she had heard in passing before. Talks that would shape her future forever. The ones of a future graduate. Would she choose to hunt, or would she head for a military outpost? Would she choose a profession within the safety of a kingdom, or venture out into the depths of the wilds? Would she stay with her team, or move on to bigger and better things?

If she chose the military, would she choose a position of high rank and solitude, like Winter? Or would she choose a low rank in a small village, settling in for a more domestic life?

Most importantly, if she chose to hunt, what sort of huntress would she be?

All of it weighed heavy on the mind, and truthfully, there was no perfect answer.

* * *

 

The same imperfect truth was the same for all of them. Perhaps, even Yang felt the burden of a future she had not completely planned.

If that was the case, Weiss needed to say something to help. She just didn’t know what she could say to make things better. The blonde was more withdrawn than Weiss had ever known her to be. It seemed as though something was always on her mind. Whatever it was, weighed on her. The mental fog seem daunting, and Yang’s training hadn’t eased up in the slightest.

“Yang?” Weiss asked, her voice flooding with concern as she sat on her bed. The dorm was quiet, and they were alone. It was the perfect time.

“Yeah?” The blonde pulled out her earphones. “What do you need?”

Weiss wondered if she should even continue. Yang’s tone seemed to want none of it. “About what you said before…”

“What about it?” Yang chipped out.

What indeed? Weiss wanted to deny her involvement with Yang’s grades. In truth though, Weiss knew she had helped Yang quite a bit. The same way her teammates helped her in return. She was not the survivalist that Ruby was, or the instinctive fighter that Yang was. If it hadn’t been for Blake, she would have never opened her eyes to see the world through the Faunus looking glass. Weiss had depended so much on her team to get her to where she was.

She just didn’t see that as a negative quality. At least, certainly not in the way that Yang obviously did.

Weiss had known about her own desperate reliance from the start. She had made peace with it the moment she stepped foot on Beacon’s grounds. It was why she had scouted Pyrrha back in her first year. She had known that pure intellect could only carry her so far. It was silly to think she could choose her own team, of course, and now it was little more than a silly memory. Even if team assignments hadn’t panned out the way she had initially planned it, Weiss owed more to Ruby, Yang, and Blake than they would ever know.

If only she could get Yang to see that.

Weiss bit her lower lip. “I want you to know, it’s not true…”

Yang said nothing to this, the silence in the room defeating. Still, Weiss could feel a warmth coming from the top bunk, Yang’s semblance heating up several degrees. A light flickering on, and then off, as if it couldn’t stay lit.

“You’re not just skirting by on my grades.” Weiss pressed on earnestly. “We all rely on each other equally. We have to. So, all of those negative things, they're just not true.”

She wished she could bring herself to stand and look at Yang’s face. She was too scared to find out what she might see. Was it anger? Was it sadness? Weiss didn’t know. A dark part of her didn’t want to know. Sinister whispers and doubts promised it would be terrible. Yang’s silence made everything even more intimidating, because this time, there were no soft denials or broken laughs.

Not even failed reassurances.

There was nothing, and that emptiness hurt.

“You _do_ work hard for your grades. I’ve seen you do it.” Weiss said, now just trying to talk. Eager to fill the void that threatened to engulf her. “You throw yourself into anything you try to do. Even when you do it headlong in the face of danger, you’re earnest. I’ve always admired that.”

“That was you!” Yang shouted as her fist connected hard with the wall beside her. “That was all you…”

“I don’t believe that.” Weiss said winching a little. She expected the rage, but not the soft repetition in the aftermath. Her eyes were still looking at the bed above her own, as if that alone would help her see the impossible. “It couldn’t have been me. I could hardly carry myself.”

“You pushed me to get it done. You helped me when I studied. You made sure I didn’t flake out.” Yang told her as her lilac eyes brimmed with unshed tears. She covered her face with her arm. Her sob silent. “You, and Blake…and Ruby. You guys made that possible, but, I can’t just sit around and be satisfied with that.”

Weiss huffed out a small breath, but her words sounded smaller still. “You give yourself far too little credit.”

“Shut up.” Yang muttered, her own voice wavering. “You don’t know anything.”

"I would like to know more." Weiss persisted, because persistence was all she had left. It was all she could do. “I have seen you do amazing things, and even if you don’t believe me, I know the truth.”

“No, Weiss! You don’t know the truth. How could you? No one does.” Yang said then, hopelessness turning to anger once more. She jumped down from the bunkbed. “I don’t want to be the person that looks in the mirror and sees what I see in myself.” The blonde’s semblance flickered, her flames fizzling out into smoke as she cursed under her breath. Red eyes draining to lilac as angry tears dripped from her eyes. “I don’t want to be this person…”

With those parting words, Yang left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Defeated, Weiss just laid back on the bed and sighed. So, if it wasn’t classes that truly troubled Yang, what did?

Was it Mercury?

What then?

Weiss bit her lip as she rolled onto her side, hugging her pillow to her chest.

How could she even hope to mend Yang’s broken heart while protecting her own?

* * *

 

If Weiss was the resident ice queen, then Blake Belladonna was the resident saboteur. She entered the dorm room with the same dull glint in her eye as one might expect. An impossibly long lecture had been known to do that. She noticed Weiss curled up across the lower bunk, seemingly despondent.

She only needed one guess as to why.

“I suppose you’re the reason why my fireball of a partner started wailing on a punching bag.” She said, not even glancing over her shoulder to regard the woman lying there. Instead, she pulled open a nearby drawer, retrieving half a bottle of red wine out from the depths of her sock drawer. Removing the cork with ease, she poured it between two paper cups. She held one out for Weiss to take. The action was as casual as could be, but Blake’s intentions were meticulous as always. “You should feel thankful. I don’t just share my wine with anybody.”

“You know I hate alcohol.” Weiss said, glaring daggers at the cup. “It reminds me of my parents.”

“It’s never stopped you in the past.” Blake said, wiggling her wrist, sloshing the wine inside the cup. A knowing little smirk played across her face as Weiss made a grab for the drink. Her blue eyes still looking at the liquid inside as though it were the bane of her entire existence. “You don’t have to drink it, you know. Think of it like an olive branch.”

“The most insidious one I’ve ever seen, if that.” Weiss bit out as she downed the drink in one go. A single droplet lingering on her lips, and her tongue flicked out to capture it. As if tasting the quality for the first time. It was with disdain that she slammed the now empty cup into the nearby trash can. “Why do you even have that anyway?”

“To drink, why else?” Blake said as she looked down at her own little paper cup. She sipped hers much more slowly, savoring the taste. “Ruby reads just as much as I do. Her books just contain a classic flair to their romances. I like that they're innocent and wistful. I can appreciate the reasons why they interest her.”

“Just so long as you don’t expect her to break out the ropes and blindfolds any time soon.” Weiss deadpanned. “I’d hate to consider what would happen if she started pulling from your collection for ideas.”

“Of course not.” The Faunus replied. “Though, even if she did, I wouldn’t find it surprising.”

Weiss only scowled. “You and Ruby aren’t as subtle as you like to think. I know she isn’t a virgin.”

“We made love once, and that was _before_ summer break.” Blake stated, hardly bothered by the accusation. “It was a special occasion, and personal. I’d appreciate if you treated the topic with the respect it deserves.”

“Only the one time?” Weiss asked.

“Funny thing about stress, it does a wonderful job of murdering libido.” Blake growled.

Weiss had the decency to look properly chastised, but that hadn’t been Blake’s goal. She rolled her eyes at the idea that Weiss Schnee of all people could turn out to be such a pushover. Where was that acerbic tongue when it would suit her most? Where was the scathing retort? Or even just the verbal low blow that only Weiss could ever dish out?

“It’s not your fault, Weiss.” Blake said then, realizing she would never get her desired reaction. “Even if Ruby and I were in the mood, when would we have the uninterrupted time?” Blake muttered quizzically, golden eyes flatly offering what words alone could not. “You really should just tell Yang how you feel. It would make my life a lot easier if you pinned her to a fighting mat and showed her whose boss.”

“Blake, I have never been able to beat Yang in an unarmed fight. Even if I could, the level of brute force required to even think of doing that would be astronomical.”

“You’ve never grabbed her by the hair and kissed her, either.” Blake said with a soft laugh as blue eyes found hers. The icy glare returned once more, though the chips in her composure were still visible. “Here’s a hint, Yang likes a little rough and tumble. Getting her hair in a hold really works. Sometimes, it's the only way I can get her to sit still. If you talk like that, she’ll listen.”

“What good is listening?” Weiss asked honestly. “Even if I were to pour my heart out, what could that possibly accomplish? I have no intention of sitting through a rejection speech made for my feelings in mind. If she's going to let me down gently, I'd rather she didn't let me down at all.”

“Who’s to say she would reject you, though?” Blake asked.

“Could you promise without a doubt that she wouldn’t?” Weiss returned. “I fully realize that holding back could be misconstrued as cowardice. It’s laughable, really. A huntress should be the perfect image of bravery. Even if it were only a matter of bravery, our relationship would boil down to compatibility. As it stands, I just don’t see how we would ever last.”

"Well, maybe you can't see it. Just because you don't, it doesn't mean the possibility isn't there." Blake said with a shrug. "It's like that with me and Ruby. Sometimes, we lose sight of things. Giving up that easy just isn't an option. At least, not for me, and not for her. Just, think about it, Weiss."

"I have been thinking about it." Weiss sighed. "More than you know."

* * *

 

Saturday had been long and difficult.

Sunday was no better.

Yang skipped breakfast and lunch too. She toyed around with her dinner. Merely pushing it around on her plate. Her scarcity was quickly becoming a concern for the team members, but Ruby hadn’t been successful at figuring out what was wrong. Yang would just smile and pull her into a headlock, insisting everything was alright.

After a late night of studying, Weiss had expected the entire room to be empty. With the nighttime activities going on in the recreation center, almost no one would be up in the dormitories. The more spiritually inclined were gathering out by the cliff to hold a midnight vigil. It was one of many remembrance ceremonies for those lost during the Great War. Ruby and Blake would likely be gone all night, watching the sunrise as was customary. Plenty of Faunus were gathered out by the stone statues, small candles making a glow in the distance.

Yang would usually go with them, and Weiss had expected tonight to be no different. Instead, that ominous bathroom light stayed on in the darkness.

Weiss knocked on the bathroom door. Normally, Yang would open up, a bottle of antiseptic in one hand and a forced grin on her face. Her combat classes were ruthless. The days when she matched with Pyrrha were some of the worst. They respected each other too much as friends, as opponents, to back down from a fair fight. A broken aura and first blood conditions promised that they’d both be a sight. Weiss suspected that Pyrrha had once again become Yang’s opponent.

It would have no doubt left the blonde sore, and in need of a good mineral soak.

Weiss knocked on the door again. Still, no sound came.

Finally she cursed, pounding louder.

“It’s not locked.” Yang’s voice was dry, almost stony.

Weiss turned the handle and pushed the door open without hesitation. “Are you okay?” She asked as she saw Yang leaning heavily over the counter.

Lilac eyes looked up, her reflection revealing a bloody lip that had long since scabbed over. Her hands were heavily bruised, and her arms looked to be the same. “Hey, Weiss, am I in your way?”

“No, but I feel like I’m in yours.” Weiss said, feeling an ominous concern catching at the back of her throat. “Yang, what happened?”

“Nothing happened.” Yang said, her voice still rough as she lowered her gaze back to something on the counter top. “Though, I guess that’s the fuckin’ point…”

Unintentionally holding back a breath, Weiss moved forward, her hand reached out only part of the way. She wanted to bridge the gap, but she couldn’t bring herself to get that far. Her hand dropped dead in the air. Something had captured Yang’s dark interest. Her feet dragged her forward when nothing else seemed to be able to.

“Yang, is that…” Weiss nearly coughed on her words. There was no need to ask such a stupid question. She knew exactly what was on the counter top. On a personal level of twisted honesty, Weiss had to admit, she was surprised something like this hadn’t happened sooner. “Okay…” She breathed, trying to articulate a multitude of questions, and having absolutely no words for any of them. “Just is it…”

“It’s positive.” Yang interrupted, the simple sentence declaring all that it needed to.

Another breath and a heartbeat passed, the short span feeling like eternity. “Okay.” Weiss said again, as if her brain was on repeat. “You’re…” She cut herself off again, reverting back to that one single word that everything was not. “Okay…” If she couldn’t grapple with reality, she could cling to denial. “Alright, well let’s not panic. Pregnancy tests aren’t always accurate. It could be a false positive. We’ll just go get another test.”

Yang shook her head as she flicked the pregnancy test in the trash. “Third time’s the charm.”

“You’ve taken others?” Weiss breathed once again, her throat closing in on her more than she might like. A weight settled in her chest, like millions of tiny lead balls holding her down. One hand reached up to clutch at the powder blue blouse she wore. The embroidered Schnee logo crumpling under her grip. She could nearly feel the anxiety attack looming.

“Plus signs every damn time…” Yang muttered sickly. “There’s no way around it. I'm pregnant.”

“Yang, this is completely ludicrous…” Weiss said with a firm shake of her head. She took a step backwards. The color drained from her face as her back collided the wall. Gritting her teeth, she pressed a harsh breath from out of her nose, too lost for words. Instead, she slid down to the floor. Her fingers sliding into her hair, pulling at the strands as her eyes grew wide. “How is that even possible?”

“How do you think?” Yang bit out, her voice cracking from the gravity of it all.

Weiss knew.

She knew, exactly what to blame. Exactly _who_ to blame.

She pushed herself off the floor, breathing still heavy as she began to pace. “There’s no possible way this is happening right now…” She muttered as she nearly tripped over the bathroom rug. “Do you understand me?!” She asked, her voice reaching a pitch high enough to warble on itself. “There. Is. No. Bloody. Way.”

“Three times in a row? That’s no lie.” Yang said uneasily as her eyes began to tear up.

“How could you let this happen?” Weiss asked, as though that reality couldn’t be possible. Choking back a sob. Her voice filled with disbelief.

“This summer, I did some things I’m not exactly proud of…” Yang said, looking down at the trashcan, where the evidence still sat. Her voice was numb.

Perfectly so.

* * *

 

An hour later, the panic had subsided, the grief had dulled.

Weiss still felt her heart clench painfully as they both sat on the bed. The evidence had been disposed of before anyone could possibly have an inkling of the truth. Weiss had dried her eyes over and over, finding the flood of tears unrelenting as she finally managed to stop them. Yang just sat by her side, lilac eyes placid, resigned to the reality in front of her.

“How long as this been going on?” Weiss asked softly, her mouth unbelievably dry, her throat raw from her previous yelling.

“Long enough.” Yang managed, having curled herself into the smallest possible ball.

“The entire time that you’ve been avoiding us? That long?” Weiss asked. “Were you hiding this for _that_ long?”

“No, I was bothered by…something else….” Yang said, swallowing down the sick feeling at the back of her throat. “But, finding this out made things so much worse.”

“How long have you known?” Weiss asked.

“Just a few days. I really thought it was the Grimm Ivy, you know? I thought, if I just gave it some time, waited things out…everything would just go back to normal.” She swallowed so loudly that even Weiss could hear it. Blue eyes lifted from their blank stare. Everything Yang wanted to say crumbled away to dust in that instant.

Yang worked her jaw, but nothing came out as she stood up. She reached over to her pillow that rested on her bunk, and pulled some crumpled paper from beneath it. She smoothed it out as best she could, fingers easing away the thick creases.

The seemingly endless supply of emotion choked her up more than she wanted it to. “I didn’t want things to be this way. I was careful. Even when I wasn’t, I’m still on the pill…I…” She shook her head, there wasn’t an excuse. She couldn’t make one, and she didn’t even dare to try. “It was only once….but that…” Yang couldn’t find the words, so instead she handed Weiss the letter she had hidden away for so long.

Weiss seemed to read it several times, her eyes dancing across the page over and over again.

“Nothing is ever really foolproof.” Yang finally managed to say.

“No.” Weiss murmured, the earlier shock had yet to truly fade. “It most certainly isn’t.”

There were thousands of questions she wanted to ask, and yet she had no real way to ask them. Instead, she regarded Yang sadly, perhaps seeing for the first time the monumental weight on her shoulders. Among all of the questions that sprang to mind, so many of them simply didn’t matter anymore. Really, there was only one thing that truly did, but Weiss didn’t have the heart to ask. Part of her feared the answer. She pulled her long white hair behind her back and sighed, looking back down to the bedspread again.

Yang sat back down too, the intensity in her eyes never leaving. Her hands gently fisted the sheets, gripping onto them for some measure of comfort. “You know, I tried to think of what to say. I rehearsed everything about a thousand times. It never seemed good enough, but lately, nothing ever does.”

“Mercury’s the father, isn’t he?” Weiss asked, already knowing, but desperately needing to hear it.

Yang said nothing as she looked away, so Weiss continued.

“The day I broke the door in the library…it wasn’t just Cardin. In fact, he was the least of my ire that day. I was studying, and Mercury was talking to Cardin’s team. I heard some things, and…I’m sorry, Yang.”

“It’s not your fault, Weiss.”

She had been hearing that so often recently, she began to doubt the truth of it. Maybe, in some distant way, this was her fault. Her penance for not telling Yang about her feelings. “Did you love him?”

“No, but, I thought I might be able to.” Yang said, her voice low and husky against the memory of him. “I thought, maybe, I might stand a chance. So, I took it.” The nights he had held her close had been a balm she desperately needed. “He turned me down, and honestly, it hurt a little more than I thought it would. I brushed it off. I didn’t want anyone to know.”

“Well, you’ve certainly got to tell Blake and Ruby. This will impact the team, and even if it didn’t, it’s not as if you can hide this forever.” That dark reality crept into her mind and she frowned. “Not unless you’re going to take some…rather drastic measures...”

“Honestly, Weiss? I’m trying to figure myself out right now. That’s why I haven’t said a word.” Yang let out a shaky breath. “It’s my life, my body, and this is going to be my kid…and if my mom’s letter is any indication, it looks like I’m walking in her footsteps. I can’t even stand to think about what that might mean. I needed some time to let it all sink in.”

“So are you going to…” Weiss trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

“No.” Yang muttered. “No, I can’t do that…It’s _my_ kid, Weiss…I just don’t know how I’m going to tell everyone. I’ve got to do it the right way, and I don’t know if there is one.”

“Under normal circumstances, probably not.” Weiss wanted to believe that everything would work itself out. Still there were whispers in the back of her mind that stated otherwise. Her heat ached for Yang. She felt powerless to be of any help. “I don’t know how they’ll take the news. We’ve been worried, Yang. Enough so, that I’m sure they’d listen to anything you have to say. As long as you’re honest about it.”

“Is that what you really want?” Yang asked. “Because it’s not pretty.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted out of you.” Weiss told her. “I thought you knew that.”

“You’re all doing so much better than I am. I felt like I was being left behind again. Blake got together with Ruby, and, it was the final straw on a thinning rope. My sister and my partner were making their own way through Beacon without me. I thought that they didn’t need me. That I must not matter.” Yang said softly. “It’s hard to explain, but, I haven’t felt that way since I found out my mom wasn’t Summer Rose. A lot of old questions started bubbling up. I couldn’t put a lid on any of it…and it got to me.”

Yang licked her lips, looking up to Weiss, tears lingering in her eyes. “Then vacation came along, and everything got worse. I was stuck in my own head for too long, and then I met Mercury. He was easy on the eyes, and said all the right things. I’d been down that road so many times, and I knew it was going to be a mistake. Huntsmen don’t want people like us. They sure as hell don’t want someone like me. I knew that going into it, and had sex with him anyway because I thought…I thought…” Yang sighed. “I don’t even know. I just wanted it to be different for once.”

Weiss wordlessly leaned on Yang’s shoulder. She didn’t have any comfort to give. “Well, it certainly is different, this time.”

“Get it now?” Yang muttered morosely. “I can’t tell Blake and Ruby stuff like that. Ruby’s going to look at me, and god only knows what she’ll see…Blake too. How am I supposed to tell them any of this?”

“I don’t know, but, you’re going to have to.” Weiss said.

“I can’t.” Yang protested. “Ruby and Blake are just the start of the problem. What’s my dad going to say? Uncle Qrow will probably drink himself stupid, and when Beacon finds out, I’ll probably get kicked out. I’ve let down everyone, I know I have.” Yang shook her head, the honest loathing she’d harbored for herself for so long finally coming to light. “Every time I look in the mirror, I see my mom’s face looking back at me, and I realize that I’m just like her. I’m a huge disappointment to the people who might have given a damn.”

“Look at me.” Weiss said, her fingers spinning around a thick lock of blonde hair, holding it tight. If Blake's words held any ground, it would have to be now. “Look at me!”

Yang did, feeling weaker than she has ever felt in her life.

“You don’t get to sit there and tell me what value you either do or don’t have. That’s _not_ your choice to make.” Weiss insisted hotly. “If we lost you, we’d be devastated. Reflections lie, Yang. They do it all the time, and if you take a good look at yourself and hate what you see, then stop looking.” Releasing Yang’s hair she signed. “You’re not a disappointment, not to me. I regard you as one of the most important people in my life. It’s not even a question.”

Yang closed her eyes, head leaning down to rest heavily on Weiss’s shoulder. “Really?”

Weiss only rolled her eyes. “Yes, Yang.” She said, the emotional exhaustion taking its toll. “Really.”


	11. Woman in the Mirror, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you celebrating a holiday (whatever one that might be) this winter season, best wishes to you and yours. I will be back in the new year strong with this fiction. It's wormed it's way into my heart and mind. I hope to see you there. Until then, enjoy this chapter. There's even some Ruby/Blake fluff mixed in for your enjoyment.

Amid all of the parties going on around them, Blake had retreated to quieter grounds.

She sat in front of the flickering firelight at the midnight hour. She was so close that the heat kissed her skin, and she basked in the fiery warmth.

She wasn’t very spiritual, and she didn’t put faith in gospel truths. Still, out of respect for brothers and sisters of the White Fang, she sat quietly in front of the fire that was kept burning at Beacon’s temple. It was her turn to keep watch over it, feeding the flame and leaving an offering of silk, food, and wine. Ruby sat beside her. She younger woman was used to the concept of keeping a midnight vigil. She didn’t say anything as she fumbled with the crosses on her cloak, fingers running over the forged metal.

Out of the corner of her eye, Blake smiled at the shadows splashing across the wall. “You don’t have to stay.” She said softly, a soft amusement reaching her voice. “As soon as someone comes by with more wood, I can go back to the party. I'll meet up with you there, if you'd like to spend more time with everyone.”

“I don’t mind. I like it here. It’s peaceful, we could stay all night, if you wanted.” Ruby said, her eyes trailing around the large room. “Besides, they say that the fire burned for thirty days and thirty nights. If we let it go out now, the souls that are gone now might never find their way back home. That’s what they say, right? That lost souls will always gather by the fire?”

“Some people say that.” Blake agreed. For as long as Blake had known her, she had never once seen Ruby pick up a scripture of any kind. The Faunus didn’t let her gaze stray from the flame. “Do you really believe that’s possible?”

Ruby shrugged, standing and walking up and down a few of the pews. Her fingers tapped along the spines of old books that collected dust. They were sitting idly, alone and forgotten. Very few used this as a place of worship anymore. If it hadn’t been one of the few standing monuments of the Great War, Ruby doubted it would still be standing at all. She walked to the back. The two large double doors opened towards Beacon’s grounds. She could see crowds of people across the campus, fairly far away.

“I learned it in history class as a kid." Ruby began. "Before the kingdoms were made, Forever Fall belonged to the Faunus. Back then, Beacon was a human village. Together, the two communities managed to live side by side. Then, the Grimm came. The villages were small, and got destroyed. The surviving humans ran away, and abandoned the Faunus to die. They say this shrine was the last building standing between the Faunus, and the Grimm…”

“That’s right.” Blake murmured. “The humans had run when the hunters and huntresses defending the villages died. Those that had gone to get help thought it would be a lost cause, but these doors held. Over a hundred Faunus survived the Grimm attack, but with nowhere to go, and no one left able to fight, they had to wait for help. They kept the fire burning, praying that help would arrive, and finally it did…”

“I don’t know if I believe in god or anything like that…but, I do believe in people. I’d like to think they did keep those fires lit, wanting to be rescued.” Ruby said softly, fingers trailing over the thick wooden doors. “If people want to believe a higher power saved those Faunus, I’m not going to say they’re wrong. I don’t really know.”

"I see." Blake murmured.

Ruby turned to Blake then, making her way back to where Blake sat. “What about you?”

“We light these fires as a promise to all Faunus. Where these fires burn, so long as they continue to burn, they will always be sheltered.” Blake recited, the teachings of her father once again spilling from her lips. “I might not have a lot of faith, but I do believe in that.”

Ruby didn’t hesitate to sit Blake’s lap, the younger woman only smiling as the cat Faunus gazed at her. Blake was obviously perplexed, her ears twitching as her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Ruby only continued to smile as she lifted a finger, tapping Blake’s nose softly before that same palm began cupping her cheek. Ruby leaned forward then, pressing her lips to Blake’s. When she felt the raven haired Faunus relax into her touch, Ruby leaned further still.

The hand cupping Blake cheek drifted along the nape of her neck, and finally behind her head. The other found a perch atop Blake’s shoulder, a gentle insistence coaxing the Faunus onto her back. After several blissful moments Ruby broke the kiss. Her nose gently touched Blake’s. The crowds in the distance, their mingled breath, and the crackling fire had forced time to stand still. Then, with just the tiniest flick of Ruby’s teeth against her lips, time seemed to tick once again.

“Do you believe in me?” Ruby asked softly.

“Always.” Blake said. “You’ve never given me a reason to doubt you.”

“Not even a little?”

Blake chuckled, the line of questioning was almost absurd. “Not even a little.”

“Do you think the others feel the same way?” Ruby wondered aloud.

Blake focused on the true depth of that question. The seriousness in Ruby’s tone, soft yet sincerely concerned. She took her hands that had been resting on Ruby’s thighs, and instead used it to guide Ruby to lay down atop her. The two cuddled close on the dusty shrine floor. “What brought this on?” Blake asked gently.

“All of our talk about faith.” Ruby explained, fingers toying idly with a few strands of black hair that spilled over Blake’s shoulder. “I mean, don’t you think having faith in your team leader is important? We have a mission coming up soon, you know. I’m a little worried Yang might not be able to do it. The one we have coming up is really easy, but if her head isn’t in the mission, someone could get hurt.”

Blake reached for the hand that was toying with her hair, freeing her locks from that gentle grasp. She lifted that hand to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to Ruby’s knuckles. Then, her lips trailed down along that calloused palm, following the curve of Ruby’s wrist. Finally Blake sighed, meeting Ruby’s eyes. “We’re headed to the villages on Patch and the other islands. It should be fun. A group of first year students could do it.”

“If they assigned a first year team, a teacher would have to go with them. If we go, they don’t have to.” Ruby told Blake. “You're right that it should be easy. Yang and I know all of the paths. Still, I'm worried.”

“We’ll be fine, Ruby, just like always.” Blake said softly. “We won’t be far, and you both know those woods like the backs of your hands. Besides, this mission might be good for Yang. She’s been so restless recently. A few nights out on the road might calm her down.”

“Do you really think so?” Ruby asked.

Blake nodded, her arms wrapping around Ruby to flip their positions. There was always something amusing of having Ruby pinned beneath her. Her heart throbbed, a few filthy thoughts skittering across the depths of her mind. She'd never act on them, not here. It was hard not to lose herself in those silver eyes, though. Grinning as she leaned down to capture the leader’s lips once more. Just when Blake thought the night would be perfect, the sound of several logs hit the floor, and the gentle gasp that followed it made Blake want to melt into the floor.

Her ears pressed down flat atop her head. She managed to pull herself away from a blushing Ruby. Just as Blake suspected, by the sound of stifled laughter, her mother stood in the doorway.

“At least it’s not dad.” She sighed, hiding her face in her hands as Kali somehow managed to laugh harder.

* * *

 

Neither Yang nor Weiss truly got any sleep that night. They were both too tired even for the promise of rest. In the distance the lit fires and dull roar of gatherings along the cliffs edge made the night seem endless. The hours dragged on slowly. It was agony, but, it might have been for the best. Weiss couldn’t pin down how she felt about the whole matter, torn between a low boiling anger, shock, surprise, and a distant sense of personal failings cackling in the depths of her mind.

With a possessive sort of vitriol, she had to wonder if this whole mess could have been prevented.

If she had just told Yang how she felt, and insisted on keeping every threat to their relationship away from the blonde, would they have been happy?

Weiss knew that hindsight was to blame for the clearly malicious retrospect. Yang wasn’t someone she could control, and that was part of her appeal. The Schnee name did nothing to shackle Yang down. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the man with enough power to squash them all with a flourish of his wrist and ink in his pen. Even after being disowned publicly by him, Weiss had powerful relatives in high places. Yang just didn’t seem to care. She never had.

Yang and Weiss had spent the night curled up on the lower bunk, wordlessly trying to come to terms with the facts at hand. Occasionally, Yang would start crying again, a few tears silently slipping out as Weiss brushed them away with her sleeve. When the grey morning sky began to appear, the blip of a scroll went off, the alarm announcing a new day was soon to begin.

Yang was the first to move. She silenced the alarm, weakly glancing to Weiss. “I need to get ready for class.”

Weiss was too tired to list off all of the reasons why that was a bad idea. “Don’t you think you should skip?”

“We can’t afford to.” Yang said, looking back at the clock. “You have Peach’s class in an hour, and I need some air.”

Yang was right, of course. Skipping even one of Peach’s classes promised that Weiss would be buried under an entire day of skipped reading and reports. Who knew what she might miss in the lecture beside. Skipping just wasn’t an option that would end well.

“What about Blake and Ruby?” Weiss pressed, a bylaw in the student handbook coming to the rescue. “You need to tell them what’s going on. This is something that would certainly qualify as team meeting material. If Ruby called an official meeting to order, we’d have the excuse to skip our entire day.”

“It’s too soon. If she called a meeting, she'd have to issue a report on what it was about.” Yang replied then. “I don’t even know what my options are, or, even if there _are_ any options that’ll go the way I want. Before I do anything else, I need to go see the family doctor in Vale.”

“Which begs the question perfectly.” Weiss let the inquiry itself roll off of her tongue, tasting the words slowly as they went. “What do you want, Yang?”

In that instant, Yang looked to be on the verge of another breakdown. She looked down at her clothes, scowling at them. She wanted a whole list of things, some of them a conflict by nature. “I don’t really know.” She said as she licked her lips. Yang knew Weiss was right, but at the same time, she just wasn’t ready. She looked up to Weiss, the shame in her eyes crystal clear. “No matter what I do, they’re going to hate me after this anyway…”

Weiss felt a wave of guilt slam into her, hissing air between her teeth as she bit back a curse. “God, stop acting like the world’s going to end.” The white haired woman muttered, vexed beyond belief.

“Then stop looking at me like I have all the damn answers in the world.” Yang returned equally as choppy.

Weiss sighed, rubbing her face with her hands, already dreading the thought of her sensitive skin breaking out in acne from all the stress. “Ugh. I can’t stand to have you look at me that way. It’s entirely off-putting.” Weiss glanced down to the floor as she crawled out of bed, gathering her things. “We have to do something, at the very least Ruby and Blake deserve something. Besides, unless you plan to blindside them, it might not hurt to soften the blow a bit. I’ll make sure I lay the groundwork, so that when you do tell them, it won’t be a complete shock…I hope.”

“Do you really think that will work?” Yang asked.

“To be honest, no.” Weiss could already feel the oncoming headache. “I’m not sure of anything. Now, go and get ready for class. I’m going to do the same down the hall.”

Weiss did strictly as she said she would. Dressing for class, and looking much less eager to learn than usual. Her mind had fogged over, her thoughts in a haze. As much as she wanted to hate Yang, she couldn’t bring herself to do that. If anything, she still felt love for that impossible blonde with the lilac eyes. Much to her surprise, something else had buried itself along with it. It wasn’t betrayal. It wasn’t jealousy, either. It was something else entirely.

Something much more timid, fragile, and nameless.

Classes seemed meaningless as Weiss put her hair up and into place. She finished her routine more quickly than she otherwise would have. She scurried off to listen to Professor Peach give another long lecture. Weiss took notes simply because it was the only way to keep herself awake. The professor droned on and on. The ordeal couldn’t have been more draining unless it had been presented by Professor Port.

Then, like every Monday, she headed to breakfast.

* * *

 

As expected Blake and Ruby had already collected a table.

Both of them smelled of the burnt wood and incense placed in the bonfire. They each had the remains of a burnt candle sitting on a plate, numbers etched into the wax. The number of warriors who hadn’t made it home, left unidentified in the onslaught of war. For the rest of the week Blake and Ruby would carry their wax molds from class to class. A standing icon displaying the significant loss of life. Weiss looked down at the simple white wax with reverence.

The dead could have been kin to anyone, even one of her own ancestors, for all that anybody knew. That’s what made the astronomically high death toll so terrifying, and why, she suspected, that Ruby insisted on attending the event every year.

“Morning, Weiss.” Ruby greeted as she held her mug of hot chocolate in her hands.

“Good morning, Ruby.” Weiss said as she set down her meal tray. A bowl of fruit, a hardboiled egg, and a piece of toast completing her breakfast.

“Careful, Oobleck filled the coffee machines this morning. It may be too hot to drink.” Blake said in way of greeting, sliding an already topped off mug of coffee across the table.

“Typical.” Weiss sighed. She reached for the drink, warming her hands on the mug. “So, how was the remembrance ceremony? It certainly seemed lively from here.”

“Fine.” Ruby squeaked far too quickly for her own good.

“Right…” Weiss deadpanned, eyes flicking to Blake. "What happened..."

“We had a little mishap. Don’t ask.” Blake groused, her cheeks beginning to turn pink as she looked down at her plate. “Besides that, it was the same as every year. If you’ve been to one, you’ve been to them all.” Blake replied with a flick of her Faunus ears. She topped off her tuna sandwich with the other slice of bread. She cut it in half before lifting one half to enjoy it. “Signal kids were there again this year. I still don’t know how I feel about that.”

“Professor Goodwitch sang a few of the old hymnals though. That’s always a treat.” Ruby said. “Plus, I got to see my dad, since he was watching the Signal kids. Blake’s right though, they were really rowdy with all of the master huntsmen and huntresses around. It kind of reminds me of when I first started here. They were a lot like that.”

“It’s amazing we weren’t blown sky high, then.” Weiss muttered under her breath.

“I texted Yang before the sun went down.” Blake went on to say between bites of her breakfast. “She said she wasn’t feeling very good. Did she catch a cold or something?”

“Or something sounds about right.” Weiss mumbled before she sighed at length. She glanced around the mostly empty eatery, no one was close by. “Regarding that, I need to speak with the both of you. Last night, while you two were away, Yang and I had a conversation.”

“Oh. Did she say what was going on?” Ruby asked with concern.

“In a manner of speaking, she did. A few things trouble her, actually. One might say that the largest issue has been caused by all of the smaller ones.” Weiss said hesitatingly, feeling completely inept. She doubted she was doing any good at all, but she was nothing if not persistent. “It’s a delicate matter, and not something I should say out loud.”

“Is it bad?” Ruby asked.

Well, it certainly wasn’t good, but Weiss wasn’t going to say that. She wanted her words to be a comfort, but she realized that wasn’t likely to happen. She fumbled for a moment, taking the time to peel the shell off of her egg. The distraction was something she sorely needed. “Hmm, let’s call it a...situation...of sort. The negative qualities depend on your point of view, I suppose. Most people would probably think it to be a blessing. I know I would, if it were under different circumstances. Perhaps it still is a blessing, it’s too soon to tell, really.”

“Weiss, stop being evasive.” Blake demanded. “What’s actually going on?”

“More than you know, Blake. We’re all a large cause of it in ways you’d never think.” Weiss bit out, causing the Faunus to deflate. Weiss paused, lifting the mug to her lips. The scalding coffee was too hot indeed. Thankfully, her aura protected her from truly hurting herself. With a frustrated sigh, she set the mug back down. Weiss looked down at the table sadly, then. “We’ve taken Yang’s resiliency for granted, all of us. The results speak for themselves.”

“Weiss…” Blake trailed off.

“I can’t say more than that.” The white haired woman refused to say more. “It’s her truth to tell, not mine.”

“Then, why hasn’t she said anything?” Ruby asked again.

“Ruby…” Weiss struggled hard with what to say, she tried to force a smile. It just didn’t reach her eyes. “She has her reasons for not saying anything. They’re not good reasons, and I strongly disagree with them. Still, they’re hers to have." She paused then, sighing. "You’ve always trusted Yang. Right now, she needs your wordless support more than ever. When she finally tells you… _and she will have to tell you_ , be just gentle with her.”

It was just enough.

And yet, oh so inadequate.

* * *

 

As fourth year students, they each had their own projects ahead of them. As individuals, they needed ways to distinguish themselves. Sometimes, it was expected of them to leave the campus in order to meet their requirements. Weiss desperately took that opportunity that evening. She needed a distraction away from Beacon. Her sister’s classified dust experiments were the best reason she would ever get.

She would be able to put that in her mission dossier late into her adult life, completed or not.

As sisters, Weiss and Winter were nothing if not masters at their semblance. The elegant sound of pens scratching across paper filled the white sterile room. Both of the women hunched over the dust collected in the mines. More testing had to be done. With the dust distributed properly, Winter had retired to her small home in Vale. She would be stationed there for a short time. Thankfully, the abode suited all of her needs. It came complete with its own miniature office and testing facilities.

It was nothing compared to the manor. It didn’t have the staff of Atlas Academy. What it did have was peace and solitude, and that was something the siblings desperately needed.

The sound of another glyph fracturing promised another failed attempt. Still, Winter pressed her semblance further until the glyph shattered entirely into nothing. With a muttered curse she pulled off her goggles. The tiny crystals seemed the same as before. “It’s just no use. They won’t adhere to my glyph for the life of me.”

“Mine either.” Weiss said as she paced the length of the room thoughtfully.

“That rules out gravity.” Winter concluded. “What does that leave us with?”

“Nothing, we’ve run the entire gambit, including dust amended summoning. The only thing we have left is to test the dust on Grimm. If we do that, we can see if it reacts to them at all.” Weiss replied, gesturing to a small nevermore that hopped around in the cage seeking a way out. Winter had hatched it out of an egg purely for dust testing. “I just don’t understand what’s going wrong. I refuse to believe there’s dust we can’t manipulate.”

“You’re sure that you’ve tried everything?” The elder sister asked. “Your glyphs have always been easier to adapt.”

“That’s only because I’ve spent more time perfecting them.” Weiss replied, feeling slightly aggravated at the thought. Although they were siblings with the same semblance, Weiss had chosen mastery over her glyphs. Winter, on the other hand, chose mastery over the ability to summon what was inside of them. Their semblance was nothing if not complex. It was always in need of refinement. “If it won’t react at all to our semblance, perhaps these crystals aren’t dust at all. Perhaps they’re just minerals.”

“Have you ever researched a mineral that emits an energy like this?” Winter asked.

“No, of course not.” Weiss said. “It was just a thought. A foolish one, but, a thought none the less.”

“We’re both tired. We really should call an end to this for the night.” Winter signed at length. “You have class in the morning, and I don’t imagine the commute to Beacon will be a pleasant one.”

“I need the research for my project. I’d be able to pass my dust theory class with flying colors if I could just manage to figure out why these crystals act the way they do.” Weiss rebuked as she replaced her goggles and looked at the dust under the bright lights once more. The way the crystals shimmered were new to her. “Honestly, that alone is worth the research.”

Winter nodded, returning to her own notes. Closing one thick file, she placed it away in the cabinet and reached for another. “I firmly believe this dust has merely exposed a gap in our training. Possibly something that our family has never before needed to address.” She managed to make it through two entire pages of documentation before she realized that Weiss looked completely exhausted. “Weiss, you really should go to bed.”

The younger sibling sighed wearily. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.”

“Why not?” Winter wondered. “You appear to be quite exhausted to me.”

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, conflict toying with her. “It isn’t anything I can’t handle on my own. Think nothing of it.” She said with a waning smile. “I am quite tired though, so perhaps I will retire to my room for the evening. Goodnight, dear sister. Sleep well.”

“To you as well.” Winter replied with a gentle smile of her own. “Try not to overwork yourself.”

“I could say the same to you.” Weiss placed away her materials and shrugged off her white lab coat. “This research will take years. We know that from experience, so we really shouldn’t dwell on our lack of findings.”

“Are you saying that for your sake, or mine?” Winter queried softly.

“Perhaps the both of us.” Weiss offered in return. Her fingers tapped thoughtfully on the white door handle, hesitating. Then she turned to regard her elder sister. “As of right now, the research access on this dust has been stated as classified, correct?”

Winter nodded slowly. “Indeed. Although, I do retain the authority on the topic. Given our bloodline, we're entitled to certain liberties.”

“I thought so. I might seek out a few of those 'certain liberties' then.” Weiss murmured. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Winter said simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you all in 2019.


	12. Woman in the Mirror, Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's now 2019, and let's just hop right into it. I hope everyone had a good end of 2018. Let's make 2019 even better.

Blake also spent the evening away from Beacon. Although, her departure was less of a choice, and more of an obligation. She had been hoping to avoid needing to make the trip until the following weekend, but there was no getting around it. Her position in the White Fang demanded the trip.

“These are the current disputes taking place at Beacon Academy.” Blake said, sliding one stack of reports to her father. She then pulled out a second stack. “And these are the solutions the faculty have chosen to come up with. They await your approval. The headmaster made it clear he would like a favorable reply sooner rather than later.”

“And what did you say to him?” Ghira asked as he sat in his armchair, stifling a yawn at the late night hour.

“I said that I’d give him your reply as soon as you had one.” Blake explained, feeling somewhat confused as Ghira didn’t move to look at the papers. “Why, was there something wrong with that?”

Ghira closed his eyes, a low rumble starting from the depths of his chest. Though, it wasn’t a purr of happiness. It was displeasured rumbling, the sort that told Blake her father was mildly annoyed. A sideways glance from the Belladonna patriarch made Blake flinch. Obviously, it hadn’t been the answer he was looking for. Her gaze dropped to the floor, unsure of what to make of his expression. She’d always known him to be stern in his opinions, fair in his actions.

That was partially why his disproval hurt so much. He reprimanded her so rarely that when he did, she knew she’d done something wrong.

“Blake, think carefully.” He finally sighed as he opened his eyes to look at her. “What exactly would I know of the situation taking place at Beacon?”

Blake looked up at him, as if the answer would be found in his steady gaze. Instead, all she could do is think that she failed him. “Whatever the reports tell you, I suppose.”

“Then by that logic, you suppose that the documents are enough. You assume that no further insight would be required. That’s not factual, and it will never be accurate. Matters such as these should be handled by those most qualified.” Each of his large palms fell over both stacks as he slid them back across the table. “I am certainly not that person.”

“Aren’t you, though?” Blake asked, earning a somewhat grumpy look from her exhausted father.

The man slouched forward to rest his elbows on his knees. This was a teaching moment. Yet, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of disappointment. He thought Blake would jump at the opportunity placed in front of her, but her timid nature had prevented that. He lifted a hand to his chin, scratching at his beard. His five-o-clock shadow was already coming in around it. A sign of a long day.

“You know what, Blake? I’ve always found the Faunus plight to be an interesting one.” He said slowly. “On the one hand, we sometimes demand too much. On the other, if we don’t beseech the right authorities, nothing gets done at all. To be honest, knowing what to do isn’t always easy. Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing. So, that’s what I’m going to do. Absolutely nothing.”

“You’re not even going to look at them?” She asked, voice soft and surprised.

“I’m not.” Ghira shook his head. “Every civil dispute between Humans and Faunus have a right to be heard. Ozpin is only doing as the council demands. It is already clear to him that I will not send a reply. Not on such trivial matters.”

“I see.” Blake replied tiredly. She had come all the way home for nothing, and knowing that she displeased him made her feel even worse.

“Blake, see this for what it is.” Ghira said softly as he reached across the divide between them. Tucking his fingers under her chin, he lifted her gaze. “These are not the sort of disputes that could lead to war. Yet, they are not the sort of disputes that should be left to fester, either.”

“If you’re telling me to give it to mom, I already tried.” Blake said to him. “She said that she wouldn’t look at them, either.”

“Well, I would certainly hope not.” Ghira said with a small chuckle. “Blake, you are a Faunus of the White Fang. You also have a position of reasonable power. A voice, you can choose to use. Now, on the right rests the plight of your peers, and their wishes. On the left, the faculty has offered a list of actions they’re willing to take. Both sides have now reached out. The White Fang has been called upon to mediate the situation.”

“You just said that you wouldn’t mediate it.” Blake murmured, her ears pressing down atop her head.

“You are the one attending Beacon.” Ghira said, grumbling at her with a slight frown. “You are most knowledgeable of the circumstances, and thusly, you should be the one to reply.”

The stack for each side was thick enough to be intimidating. Blake didn’t know what she would do. “It’s easy for you to say that, dad. You’ve been doing this for years. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. You’ve always been the one to reply to Ozpin, not me.”

“And therein rests the problem. Nothing lasts forever, kitten.” Her father noted, feeling the heavy burden of parenthood fall onto his shoulders. Blake had always been something of a disobedient youth. “I won’t be able to speak on behalf of Vale’s Faunus forever. I need to be sure that the person I entrust can be capable of taking on the task. The same can be said for the White Fang. As it stands today, it will not last forever. It must adapt along with each generation that governs it.”

“I’m busy with training to be a huntress, I can’t take this on right now.” Blake protested.

“You can because you must, Blake.” Ghira told her, not giving an inch. “I see this as training, too. Not only as a huntress, but, also because you’re my daughter.” He stood then, gathering his belongings. “This is my official order. You, Blake Belladonna shall undertake sole jurisdiction over the disputes taking place at Beacon Academy. I will not lend you my ear in this regard again unless tensions have risen beyond your control. I suggest you sit there and think carefully about what you will do with your newfound authority. I haven’t given it to you thoughtlessly.”

With that he exited the office, leaving Blake alone with her thoughts.

Ghira only rolled his eye as his wife stood in the hallway, one ear tipped backwards in agitation.

“Ghira…” She muttered, one hand perching on her hip, while the other lifted to her face.

“Don’t even start with me, Kali.” The male only puffed up his chest in reply. “I have spoken.”

“Yes, you certainly did manage to do that.” Kali told him, her eyes rolling softly in mild exasperation. “I only worry that you’ve put your foot in your mouth again.”

“Consider it a gift passed down from my father before me.” He said as he began the path down the hall to their bedroom. His wife followed, of course. He expected nothing less of her, plenty of retorts sitting on her tongue just for him. He silenced them all with a mere look, a frown that showed his own displeasure all too well. “I didn’t do it to be cruel, Kali.” He said to her.

“I know that, but, I worry that Blake may not.” Kali pointed out. “It certainly sounded as though you were unhappy with her.”

“If so, better for it. She needs to find her backbone, and find it quickly. She’s far too skittish. I didn’t raise her to be timid.” Ghira stated as he removed his shirt and sat down on the end of the bed to remove his shoes. “The life she seeks is not safe. If she hesitates in battle even for a moment, we may lose her one day.”

“Don’t be so foolish.” Kali said with a soft shake of her head. “Blake has a good head on her shoulders, and friends very willing to look after her wellbeing. Most of them are even human, a feat we’d never imagined possible. If only we had been so lucky at her age.”

“If my worrying is foolish, so be it. That little human of hers isn’t sufficient protection.” Ghira muttered between gritted teeth, though his tone lacked heat. “I refuse to bury my child, Kali. I was there for her first breath. I would sooner have her hate me, than to be notified that she’s taken her last one.”

“All of that hot air doesn’t do you any good. You know that just as well as I do.” Kali was hardly intimidated by his bluster as she also began to disrobe for the evening. “I personally think Ruby’s a wonderful influence. Even if I didn’t, Blake’s obviously very smitten with her. I think we wouldn’t be able to get in the way of it.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?” He groused.

Choosing to keep Blake’s personal overtures as strictly that, Kali only smiled softly. It wasn’t just a phase, or a fling. Blake had found someone she was very keen about, and that someone just happened to be Ruby Rose. Kali bit her lower lip thoughtfully. She certainly hadn’t gotten over the memory herself, and knew she would need to address it with Blake soon enough.

“It means that the ‘little human of hers’ isn’t going away any time soon.” Kali said with a fond roll of her eyes as she tossed her clothing into the hamper. She went in search of a nightgown, her footfalls soft along the wood floor. “Now, stop worrying so much, or you’ll give yourself an ulcer.”

Perhaps Kali was correct. Perhaps he did worry too much. Yet, he felt that to be the right of any parent, and if he did, he could hardly be blamed for it. He continued to disrobe, leaving his thoughts unaired as they turned about in his head. Instead, discarded his own clothing before slipping beneath the sheets in the nude.

* * *

 

It was far too early to exchange pleasantries as Weiss and Blake sat next to each other waiting for the first airship to Beacon to be ready for takeoff. With complimentary water and a little bit of red dust, Weiss fashioned a small flame. Two paper cups sat on top of a gravity glyph. With utmost concentration she heated the water without setting fire to the cups.

“Tea bag?” Weiss grumbled sleepily, wishing Blake had managed to find something of value.

“Half caffeine…” Blake said, her ears drooping as she pulled out the small square in question.

“Really?” Weiss grumbled.

Blake only shrugged in defeat. “It was all that the open bar had.”

The first flight out, and the complementary refreshments bar had yet to be restocked. Weiss wasn’t sure if it was an ill omen or just bad luck. She cursed it either way. The two exhausted women exchanged a look of disgust as Blake plopped the depressing little bag into one of the cups. It was a terrible start to an unquestionably long day. The two of them said nothing as the tea steeped in one cup before the bag was transferred to the other.

“Ugh, now that’s just a sin against nature.” Blake scowled, having lifted her cup to her lips. She could feel her body rebel at the horrid taste. “Who in the world drinks this swill?”

“Unless it’s someone with an aversion to caffeine, probably only morons.” Weiss feared the taste, but there was nothing else available. She lifted the cup to her lips, discovering it was just as disgusting as Blake had promised it would be. Her lips smacked together, looking down into the cup to search it. “It’s repulsive.”

The Faunus was hardly surprised. “Now do you see why I normally keep a box of teabags in my go-bag?”

“I will never question your logic in tea preparation ever again.” Weiss mumbled unhappily. "To think, I didn't assume it could get worse than the bags you buy at the student store."

The loud speaker chimed, indicating the airship was now taking passengers. They stood together, making their way onto the flight, sipping their partially brewed cups of tea the entire time.

After the silence had droned on long enough, Weiss finally regarded Blake with a bit of pity. “You look like you were run over by an Ursa.”

“So do you.” Blake mumbled from behind her depressing cup of tea.

“Indeed.” Weiss said, pulling out her scroll to check the time. It was far too early for her own liking. “What business did you have in Vale?”

“White Fang stuff.” Blake grumbled softly. “You?”

“Dust experiments.” Weiss yawned. A cluster of other words sat on her tongue, perching there precariously enough to be worrisome. She was sure that Yang hadn’t found the time to truly speak to the other girls at length. If Yang hand, Weiss was sure she would have heard of it by now. Then again, what time did they truly have during the week?

“Weiss…”

“Yes?”

“Ruby’s worried about Yang.” Blake said, her voice a soft and sleepy monotone. “There’s that mission coming up soon as well. Is Yang mission ready?”

“Ready or not, we need that grade.” Weiss murmured, biting down on the inside of her cheek. The thought of allowing Yang on any mission concerned her. They would probably need to cancel, and that meant Yang would need to explain why. There was, however, one saving grace. “I suspect that Ruby hasn’t been informed yet on just what sort of cargo we’re escorting, does she?”

Blake looked over, shaking her head. “You do?”

“Of course I do. General Ironwood is the one that put in the mission request.” It was truly part of the greater problem, and something that unsettled Weiss. “We’re transporting some of the atlesian gifts provided to Vale on good faith. Dust infused medical supplies, military grade limbs, and upgradeable armaments. It’s just part of our treaty with the kingdoms, and Winter’s been tasked with seeing that it all goes to plan. It would be inhospitable of Vale not to provide escorts.”

“So, your sister will be there." Blake surmised.

"Yes, and the team assigned, in this case ours, will act as the military's escorts. Most of our time will be spent on boats of course. I've heard that most of the places were visiting contain island dwellers. Patch is a stop, of course, meaning that Signal will also be on the list."

The Faunus could only sigh. "Of all the stupid things…”

“It isn’t that I don’t agree.” Weiss murmured. “That said, I’m not one to begrudge an easy grade, especially when two of our teammates have a prosperity to fail written exams regularly.”

Blake nodded, eyes slipping closed as she leaned back in her seat. The announcements for take-off began, and Weiss settled in as well. The two of them said nothing on the flight back, indulging in the peace that came with the mostly empty airship ride. Then the most glorious smell in the word touched their noses as the refreshment cart rolled on by.

Fresh coffee.

* * *

 

During the early morning commute back to Beacon, Weiss had come up with the perfect plan to help keep Yang out of trouble. Using her connection with Winter, Weiss had steamrolled an advantage. Priding herself on her quick thinking, she printed everything off as soon as she got to Beacon, searching for Yang with newfound excitement.

“Weiss…” Yang muttered, blindsided by a thick packet with words too large to grasp, the legal jargon far beyond simple wordplay. “What is this?”

“In short, a military document swearing you into our newest dust project.” Weiss said as she tapped her finger atop the collected papers. “I’ve taken the liberty of filling out all the forms, I just need you to sign your name.”

Yang rolled her eyes as she slammed her locker shut. “I told you, I’m not going back to Peach’s class.”

“It’s not for Peach’s class. It’s to keep you out of trouble with Goodwitch.” Weiss rebuked hurriedly. She looked around, making sure no one else was near by. “Yang, for obvious reasons, you can’t fight as you are right now." Her blue eyes trailed down to Yang's midriff, the implication lingering between them. "You shouldn’t have been fighting before, either. Now that I know the truth, there’s no way I can just let you keep going to her class. We should also keep you out of Port’s classes too. One pop quiz of his without your aura...” She didn't want to think about what might happen.

“It’ll be fine, Weiss.”

“You don’t know how long your luck will last.” Weiss shot back, fingers gripping the papers more tightly than before. “This is a huntsman’s academy, not a finishing school. Unless you plant to just waltz right up to the faculty and tell them that you’re pregnant, we can’t risk it. Goodwitch or Port could call you into battle at any time.”

“You said that the dust your sister found was dangerous too.” Yang said then, giving her teammate a somewhat confused look. “You said it could even be deadly.”

“Yes, it might be. However I have no intention to put you anywhere near it.” Weiss replied with a wag of her finger and annoyed glare. “Give me more credit than _that_ at least. There’s plenty of paperwork to be sorted and clerical research to perform. You would never come into direct contact with that dust, not if I had anything to say about it.”

Yang hesitantly took the thick packet in her hands. “So, if I sign this, does that mean I automatically end up as the military’s lap dog?”

“No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous." Weiss muttered. "You’d be working under me, as my assistant. If anything, your ties would be closer to the SDC, than the military. Although, even that would be fairly far removed.”

Yang grinned sharply, sarcasm in her tone. “So, I get to be your lackey. Sounds like fun.”

“You’ll be sorting my thesis research. If anything, it'll help the team's grade in Dust Theory.” Weiss groused, wanting nothing more than to get that all too important signature. “Yang, this is not a way out of your problems. You still need to tell Ruby and Blake what’s going on. To that end, it would look better if you told the faculty _before_ the medical bay finds out about this.“

Yang grabbed a pen and signed her name across the highlighted segments of paper. Looking down at the black ink, she watched it dry. “One last mission. Then, I’ll tell the Ruby and Blake everything. Even the dirty details, if they really want them. Just, give me one last mission, first.”

“What?” Weiss asked softly. “Yang, that’s crazy.”

“We’re just going to be dropping off supplies. It won’t be hard, or even very dangerous.” Yang went on to say as she pulled out her scroll and pulled up the mission details. “We’ve walked those paths hundreds of times as kids with dad. It’s basically child’s play. Patch is even one of the stop offs. There’s no safer mission than this mission. When was the last time we ran into Grimm on the roads?”

“It’s the risk, slim as it may be, of running into Grimm that makes it a mission.” Weiss said. “Why do you even want to go, anyway?”

“I might not get another chance.” Yang examined her gauntlets, and the bullets that she had prepared for them. There was something calming about the weight around her wrists. A comforting sensation of loading her weapon full of bullets. Cleaned, primed, and ready for battle. “This might be the last mission I go on in my entire life. The last time I might ever get to call myself a member of this team. Please, let me just have that...”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for following this fiction this far. Continued support is helpful to the creative process. Kudos, comments, follows, and faves, all help to add to the inspirational flair that makes fan-fiction what it is.


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